15mm tents on offer!

STOP PRESS!!

Red/yellow and blue/green tents in the background.

Alternative Armies (now incorporating 15mm.co.uk) have a special offer 20% off their fantastic little tents featured in my recent game report plus free postage for orders over £15!

Small green tents, one damaged!

The offer ends Friday 11th August, so why are you still reading this? Go and buy some now!

Size comparison pictures - GZG, CMG, The Scene, Rebel, 15mm.co.uk

 I was asked about how the size of the Kaamados Dominion figures from Critical Mass Games compare to other figures, so I thought I'd take some group photographs.  I thought I may as well add in a few figures from a range of manufacturers, so here goes!

Because I like fairly small bases, bear in mind that all the non-GZG figures have had their cast-on bases filed down and glued onto washers (or 1p pieces in the case of the larger figures), so their heights may differ depending upon how other people base their figures.  I've started to abbreviate the names towards the end, just comment on the post if you need any extra info on which packs any of the figures come from (and apologies for any errors that might have crept in).  Click on each if you want a larger view.

L-R: GZG OUDF trooper, CMG Vivipara, GZG NSL hardsuit, CMG Draco Aganath Maxima, GZG tech, CMG Agaamid, GZG UNSC light infantry, CMG Protolene Khanate Hunter command

L-R: The Scene battle android, CMG Vivipara, GZG NAC Marine, CMG Draco, 15mm.co.uk automata, CMG Agaamid, Rebel minis zombei hunter, The Scene zombie hunter

Next there are the power armoured figures on their own.

L-R: CMG Vivipara, GZG NSL Power Armour, CMG Draco, GZG NAC Power Armour (old), CMG ARC Fleet Augment, GZG NAC Power Armour (new), CMG Agaamid

L-R: NAC Power Armour (old), CMG Agaamid, GZG NAC Marine, CMG Vivipara, GZG Power Armour (new)

 Now the purely non power-armour figures:

L-R: The Scene battle android, CMG Protolene Khanate, GZG NAC Marine, 15mm.co.uk automata, GZG NSL hardsuit, Rebel Minis zombie hunter, GZG tech, The Scene zombie hunter, GZG Light UNSC, GZG OUDF trooper

Finally, a mix of GZG figures showing the variation in size within a single company.

L-R (all GZG): NSL Power Armour, NAC PA (old) NAC PA (new), NAC Marine, NSL hardsuit, OUDF trooper, tech, Light UNSC

In conclusion, I think you'll probably agree that all the companies that I have featured today mix together very well.  The CMG powered armour towers over normal troops in a suitably intimidatory fashion but doesn't look out of place.  The rest all seem to be within the normal range of height variation you'd expect within a population and hey - this is science fiction!  Low or high gravity worlds will no doubt affect people's height and build, providing a good excuse for anyone who appears to be outside the norm.

Zombie Reinforcements 7

 I've finished the latest zombies and also completed a few final touches for my earlier zombies.  They've taken me quite a while because of the wide range of different colours and styles I've been using to paint them.  I've added a few different skin colours for variety, using Vallejo charred brown and beastly brown.  You'll notice that I haven't followed the greenish skin with lots of blood approach, I've tried to go for more natural coloured skin with the occasional splash of Vallejo flesh wash around exposed bones and damaged fleshy bits (it's rather too red for me to use as an actual flesh wash!).  Most of the zombies have had a light drybrush of grey and/or GW rotting flesh to give a dead flesh highlight to their skin.

Old double-based zombies have been completed (bikinis coloured) plus a new lone bikini-zombie (all Rebel Minis).

 I've mixed them up - with bases filed down, the 15mm.co.uk zombies aren't too much bigger than the Rebel Minis.

New triple-base (2 15mm.co.uk and a Rebel Mini) plus a fairly "armless" one (arf!)

 I have a good mix of single, double and triple bases now, which should offer good flexibility for the horde during games.

My earlier school zombie double-base completed with their new friend (all Rebel Minis)

 I think the zombie cheerleader has to be one of my favourite ones - a great little figure!  I love the skateboarder too, with his underwear showing over the top of his shorts.

More school zombies, this time from the new batch (all Rebel Minis).

 I don't know why one of the Rebel Minis zombies is so much taller than all the rest.  He's even taller than the 15mm.co.uk zombies, and it looks like he was made by a different sculptor.

Rear view of the zombie skateboarder plus a very tall zombie (both Rebel Minis).

 

Triple base of 2 15mm.co.uk zombies plus another Rebel Mini tall zombie.

 

Rebel Minis - fireman, "Syntho-Burger" employee and small child.

I felt that GW Red Gore and Rotting Flesh were appropriate colours to use for the Syntho-Burger employee's uniform.  I think a Syntho-Burger franchise should be the next piece of scenery that I build.

Rear view (note the "Syntho-Burger" logo on the jacket!).

Old Rebel Minis zombies finally completed - double-based sisters plus office worker with telephone.

Rebel Minis triple-based office zombies.

A rear view of the office zombies.

Double-based 15mm.co uk zombies (note the intestines repainted as a satchel!)

 Some of the 15mm.co.uk zombies have their intestines spilling out in a slightly unrealistic way.  I've painted one lot brown instead and painted in a strap to turn then into a shoulder bag.

..and a side view.

 It doesn't take much effort to turn the fantasy zombies into modern/sci-fi zombies.  A hooded smock becomes a normal hoodie, an odd pointy hat is easily trimmed into a sort of beret/cap and hey presto, lots of inexpensive zombies who look fine with the real modern ones.

Three 15mm.co.uk fantasy zombies.

 The 15mm.co.uk zombies are in a worse condition than the Rebel Minis zombies.  Skin is sloughing away, their faces are rotting and sliding off, jaws have gone missing.  Great detail!

Zombie head close-up 1.

Zombie head close-up 2.

 

Zombie head close-up 3 (my wife says he looks like a mutant dog crossbreed!?!)

And finally... the horde shuffle into action!

Zombie Reinforcements 5

 My latest batch are now undercoated.  I've used black this time though I often use grey too - depends what the local pound shop has in stock!

 I put a strip of double-sided tape along a scrap of wood and stick all the bases in a line.

 This makes it easy to undercoat them all with just a few quick squirts from the spray can and I can hold the wood in the air or at an angle to get into all the nooks and crannies under the chins and arms of the figures.

Zombie reinforcements 4

The next stage with my zombies is to texture the bases.  I paint the bases with thinned down PVA and add a range of different sized bits of grit and sand.

Zombies

Rather than buying overpriced GW "modelling sand" for £4 or £5 for a 220ml tub, I buy a 25kg bag of sharp sand from HomeBase or Wickes for the same price or less.  Passing it through a couple of sieves and a tea-strainer gives me a range of different sized grits that I save in margarine tubs.  The finest grade is also good for mixing with paint to give a nice textured finish.

Werewolves and SAS

Now that the bases are textured, the next stage will be to undercoat them all.  I'll stick them all to a couple of wooden batons using double sided tape so that I can spray them all in one go.

Earthforce Marines

 I'm using white undercoat for my 15mm.co.uk automata.  Because my current spray can is black I've just brush painted these ones with Vallejo white primer, then used GW red gore and Vallejo bonewhite with a Vallejo sepia ink wash.

Automata / Skeletrons

Their colour scheme is based on the Action Force Skeletron.  I thought that it would make a change from the more traditional metal-coloured terminator style appearance.  If you look closely I haven't painted the feet yet - I still need to drybrush the bases but I'm on holiday and don't have all my paints with me!

Zombie Reinforcements 3

 Now the first batch are glued to their bases I've added some epoxy putty to fill in the gaps and blend the figure bases into the washers.

Zombie horde

 The zombie horde is coming along nicely.

Skelebots

 Lots more skelebots to come - this will be the first of 7 units.

SAS troops

 The last of my SAS troops to add the the 9 I've already finished (as seen in action earlier this month).

Earthforce Marines

 Another 13 Earthforce Marines still to finish.  Although they're nice figures, it's a shame that all 5 poses are very similar walking/standing, none actually firing.

Werewolves

 I realised that I haven't shown the werewolves yet - also from Rebel Minis.  I've been working on these at the same time.

Special Forces trooper

An extra figure from "The Scene" - a special forces trooper.

Paul's tip for the day - my usual working surface is an A4 cutting board inside a punched pocket.  It provides a shiny surface which cleans very easily - using washers as bases, the epoxy resin often oozes through the hole onto the working surface but it easily peels/pops off once it has set.  The putty also comes off easily as does paint.  When it finally gets too scuffed you can just chuck it away and slip the cutting board into a new one.

Zombie reinforcements 2

 Glued to their bases and ready for the next stage...

Zombies on their bases.

Automata infantry.

 

Earthforce Marines.

Zombie reinforcements

 As those who have viewed my zombie games may have spotted, I haven't actually got very many zombies based and painted yet, hence the need for GZG unarmed civilians to stand in during most games.  14 zombies doesn't really constitute a "horde" I feel (perhaps more of a "hordelet"?), so I thought I'd better get a move on and finish some of my other undead!

Zombies ready for basing on washers (plus some skeletal robots!)

I have quite a number of Rebel Minis zombies from their "Modern Zombies 1" and "Modern Zombies 2" sets (which I received as part of the "Better Dead than Zed" starter box).  These are a great mix of modern zombies ranging from office workers to fast food outlet employees to firemen to policemen plus a range of assorted kids and other civilians.  I've also got a box of 15mm.co.uk fantasy zombies who will look fine painted in modern colours.

More zombies and robots need their bases filed...

All the figures get their bases filed down so they're quite thin.  Once that's done the zombies are mounted either individually on washers or in pairs on 1p pieces or trios on 2p pieces.  The multiple groupings will make it easier and faster to move large hordes.  I've got enough extra zombies ready to bring the horde up to 37, with another 20 or so cleaned up and ready to have their bases filed.

The existing zombie "hordelet".

I've got a few other figures ready for basing too, 15mm.co.uk skeletal robots and some Rebel Minis Earthforce Marines.  I ran out of my preferred washer type and have only just managed to find another supplier.  I use stainless steel M6 washers which are about the same size as the cast-on GZG bases.  I prefer small bases rather than the larger plastic bases that some people use, but that's just my personal taste.  It does mean that there isn't as much space for details like grassy tufts but it does mean that walkways and bridges etc. can be a more realistic width but still provide enough space for figures to stand.  I can store them more easily too!  I might get around to fitting some boxes with magnetic sheeting too, in which case I can transport them more easily.

Zombies!

 I got the USE-ME Zombie Dawn rules set from 15mm.co.uk a few weeks ago but haven't had a chance to play it until now.  A very quick game featuring some GZG security & armed colonists trying to escape from a  horde of Rebel Minis zombies with additional unarmed GZG civilians standing in for extra zombies.

A 3-person mining crew from IMEC (Interstellar Mining & Extraction Consortium) have returned to the town to find it unusually quiet and apparently deserted.  They make their way to the company offices only to find them empty and apparently abandoned.  Suddenly a couple of security officers appear along with a civilian lugging a missile launcher - quick, some sort of plague epidemic, they must escape now!  As they turn to run back to their trucks on the far side of the town, the groaning hordes shamble into view...

(Zombies marked with a red zed!  Double-zombie bases are "zombie brutes", big extra-tough creatures.)

The group start their run back across the town...

 Thanks to some extremely poor shooting it took at least three turns before they hit any zombies!

Half way there - but more zombies in sight!

One of the IMEC crew is attacked by 2 zombies even as he gets within sight of the trucks!  Although he manages to kill one, he is severely wounded by the other.

Look out!

 The zombie hordes close in.  Surely the end is near?  Using the missile launcher at too short a range means that one of the IMEC crew is injured by the blast!  She has three zombies closing on her but only a pistol to defend herself.  After her string of misses and friendly-fire incidents, the civilian with the missile launcher succumbs to the zombies on the right - and immediately rises again as one of the undead!
 

A target rich environment - shame no-one can shoot straight!

The humans are getting overwhelmed, only 3 survivors left... and then the female IMEC employee falls to her three attackers.

More zombies follow the blood trails round the corner.

The female cop decides to split, abandoning the last wounded IMEC employee to his fate.

Surrounded, he is torn apart by zombies!

Within metres of the trucks, the security officer is also overwhelmed and devoured!

Too late!  The last survivor goes to her grisly fate!

All 6 survivors have been killed (though 3 have re-animated to join the zombie horde).

With no-one to carry warning of the outbreak, what will happen next?

A fun little game, easy rules to use though a couple of bits don't seem to make sense but I'm sure it'll become easier with the next game.