Gamma Wolves - The Burg

 Continuing with my Gamma Wolves projects I completed some light mechs for the arcology known as, The Burg. This arcology is formed from the refugees and scientists who fled to the southern tip of Africa (Johannesburg) to escape the apocalypse. Once there, they had to science the s*** out of the place to make a go of it. Genetic engineering resulted in a population that's resistant to radiation and toxins, but are stuck with a 20 year lifespan. In game terms, this results in relying on fairly junior pilots compared to other factions, but are resistant to your mechs reactor radiation. Each action by your mech in the game, puts stress on its nuclear reactor. If you push it too hard, you start to kill the pilot. Depending on the benefits of squeezing out one more action despite the safety risks, you may not be too concerned for the pilots well-being. As such, being able to survive the reactors output might make up for the relative lack of experience.

These models are from Puppetswar and represent 5 light mechs. Light mechs are basically suits of power armor, so these models work nicely. I painted them to match 3 other models I painted a few years ago, which will represent the medium and heavy mechs for the faction.

I forgot to include a model for comparison, but they are the same size as a space marine terminator.

Armed with heavy weapons, missile launchers and a handy buzz saw!

The large one in the center is also from Puppetswar. The other two are Tau Battlesuits from Games Workshop.

Gamma Wolves - Bolschev Arcology - Analogue Hobbies 13th Painting Challenge Submission.

 

 My second entry is another faction for Gamma Wolves. This group is from an Arcology called Bolschev and is made up of the remnants of Eastern Europe and Asia. That's a pretty wide range, but it's obviously meant to depict the old Soviet Union and satellite states. This Arcology borrows from the usual stereotypes of Eastern Europe using more rugged and less sophisticated machinery. These models reflect this well and I added lots of weathering and rust. I was originally going to add red stars as insignia, but didn't feel right doing that. Instead, I added what I think are British Army insignia. As coincidence would have it, the main insignia I used has the same colors as the Polish flag!  I managed to make 6 units consisting of 1 heavy, 3 medium and 2 light walkers. I added two 28mm figures for scale purposes.

2 Medium

2 Light, 1 Medium

1 Heavy

Last post I mentioned one batch of models I ordered that arrived despite international sanctions. I ordered these models in early January 2022 from Souldark Miniatures based in Russia. It doesn't really sell miniatures, as their products are more like toys for action figures. However, their toys made decent mechs for super cheap. In hindsight, my timing was laughably bad. One of those "what were you thinking?" moments. I assumed the order would never be sent and I didn't even bother reaching out to the company or asking for a refund (can't imagine what the response would have been). To my surprise, sometime in March, a package showed up at the post office. About half the order was not as advertised and were of no use (a much smaller scale despite being the same price as the larger models). The other half was the right size, but needed lots of work to make serviceable. Oh well, at least they were cheap!Thanks for visiting.

Painting Challenge Submission - Gamma Wolves

 

First post of the Challenge and first completed faction for a new project - Gamma Wolves by Ash Barker. I picked up his new rule book last year. It's published by Osprey Games and is meant to represent Mech combat set in a post-apocalyptic future. Most sci-fi games seem to be set in some form of a post-apocalypse or dystopia. We're so pessimistic these days!

The game can me played in a few different scales. The easiest would have been 15mm or whatever Battle Tech and Heavy Gear are, but those scales already have games attached, so what's the point? What I really wanted to do was 28mm! There's much less selection at this scale though, so I had to scour the internet and my own pile of shame to make 4 factions for the game. Some of these were very lucky and/or timely purchases. I managed to purchase from a couple of companies that have since gone belly up and one order even managed to beat international sanctions to my mail box (stay tuned for that one)!

In the game, each faction represents an arcology. Arcologies are the only habitable places on earth and their populations have to scavenge from the wasteland to survive. Since outside is so deadly, you need a vehicle for protection. This inevitably brings arcologies into conflict with one another and the arcologies warriors battle it out in mech suite or "frames". Frames come in 3 sizes: heavy, medium and light. Each frame can carry an assortment of weapons with larger frames able to carry more weapon systems than lighter ones. Lighter frames are also more maneuverable.

 The Ghosts of Tiamat are one of the games factions, but they are a bit different than the standard arcology. They are evolved artificially intelligent nanobots that were originally designed to rebuild the atmosphere and save the planet. They ended getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of damage humans could cause and began to multiply and grow out of control. They've since returned to the surface and continue self replicating from the planets salvage piles. Occasionally they cobble together some frames of their own to defend against the other arcologies.

I wanted this faction to look the most high-tech with a sleek design and shiny paint job. The models are from Antenocitis Workshop (out of business) and Ravenstar Studios (still around - check em out!). The force consists of 3 light frames and 3 medium frames. I painted them using mostly metallics. Vallejo's Gunmetal and GW's Ironbreaker are used primarily.

3 Light Frames from Ravenstar

3 Medium Frames from Antenocitis Workshop

Ogre Miniatures - 6mm armour units and another AI Supertank - 3 Ogre-related Painting Challenge submissions

Ogre Mk. V - Challenge Submission #5

A capital addition to my growing forces for Ogre Miniatures, the 6mm scale miniatures wargame based upon Steve Jackson's Games' 45-year-old board game.

The Combine Ogre Mk. V is a very large cybertank, with more than double the firepower of the Ogre Mk. III that I recently built. Above, next to the Mk. V you can see a normal sized 6mm (1:300) scale PanEuro "Jaeger" heavy tank. I went with a traditional Combine = red, Paneuro = blue paint schemes. For the Ogre Mk. V, the base red was accomplished with a light spray of Army Painter Dragon Red primer. I then laid in several glazes of GW Druchii Violet for shading. I painted highlights and some light weathering and damage using various artists' oils, especially Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow, and Peach Black.

I was hoping to get several troops of Paneuropean armour units done to go along with this Ogre: GEVs (armed, jet-powered hovercraft), missile tanks, super heavy tanks, howitzers, etc.). It ended up taking a couple more weeks.

I suggested 15 points for the Ogre Mk. V (which is easily equal to or larger than the size of a 20mm T-34 or similar tank). Add 20 points for Skaro (Robots). The Ogre Mk. V is a giant robotic tank! This garnered me 35 points for this entry into the 2022 Painting Challenge.

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Paneuropean "Galahad" G.E.V.s - Challenge Submission #6

The Paneuropean "Galahad" G.E.V. (Ground Effect Vehicle) is my favourite type of  "armour unit" in the Ogre game universe. Something about these jet jockeys zooming in at 200 kph, then zooming out again to try and avoid the Ogre's weapons (two moves per game turn!). This entry is a squadron of such fast attack vehicles. I went with a traditional Paneuro blue paint scheme. 

After assembly, I primed all the units with GW Chaos Black, and laid in flat white zenithal highlighting with an airbrush. The base blue of the G.E.V.s consisted of several washes of GW Drakenhoff Nightshade. I then laid in highlights and details with oil paints, and did some light weathering with oils, acrylics, and powders. 

The relative size of the Galahad G.E.V. is shown against a "Jaeger" Heavy Tank above, and my Combine Ogre Mark V. Some more Paneuro vehicles, artillery, and a Fencer (Ogre), were next in queue for the Challenge. 

(8 x 2) points of 6mm or 1:300 scale G.E.V.s are a modest 16 points. Add 20 points for Klendathu, an Invasion Gone Bad. Some of the classic scenarios from the game I remember playing include Raid and Ceasefire Collapse, deep, fast movements of luftpanzer forces that ultimately did not prevent the rise of the A.I. overlords during the Descartes Revolution. TOTAL = 36 POINTS

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Ogre Miniatures 6mm tanks and artillery - Challenge Submission # 7

"Ajax" Missile Tanks (MSL) are another popular Paneuropean armour unit. Their missiles hit hard and at a longer range than their fellow Paneuropean G.E.V.s and Heavy Tanks. However, the Missile Tank's amour is lackluster, and they are slow. This entry includes a couple of platoons of Ajax's. 

The "Arquebus" Howitzer (HWZ) is the heaviest hitter in the Paneuropean arsenal, excepting only their own Ogres and actual nuclear cruise missiles. Long ranged, but immobile, there was a time when Ogre players tried to devise the perfect "4-Howitzer Defense". A combined arms force of various tanks, G.E.V.'s, and infantry is probably a better bet. I have included a battery of 4 artillery pieces.

The Paneuropean "Thor" Superheavy Tank (SHVY) is almost like a miniature Ogre. Dual main armament that can be combined or fired separately, and some point defense anti-personnel batteries give it a lot of firepower. However, it's human crew is still subject to disablement with a non-fatal hit. I painted up a platoon of two of these beasts.

In the basic game of Ogre, the objective of the Ogre player is to destroy the Paneuropean Command Post (CP). To the Combine, destroying the centralized Command, Control, and Communication at such a brigade or divisional level is worth the loss of an Ogre. What the Ogres think of that is anyone's guess.  

After assembly, I primed all the units with GW Chaos Black, and laid in flat white zenithal highlighting with an airbrush. I used a couple of different tones for the base blue, glazing with washes of GW Drakenhoff Nightshade or Indigo oil paint. I then laid in highlights and details with oil paints, and did some light weathering with oils and powders. 

The relative size of the various units is shown against a Galahad G.E.V. 

(9 x 2) points of 6mm or 1:300 scale amour units (6 MSL, 2 SHVY, and 1 CP), plus 4 points for the 4-HWZ battery, makes for 22 points. Add 20 points for Cybertron (Robot(s). In the basic game of Ogre, all the powered armour infantry, various tanks, and artillery that the Paneuropean player fields are opposed to a single Combine  robotic supertank. And there is a more than even chance that the Ogre will win.

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This completes the contents of SJG's Ogre Miniatures Set 1, plus a couple of the "Thor" Superheavy Tanks from Set 2. Didn't quite finish the Paneuropean Fencer Ogre-class tank. Maybe in a couple of weeks. 

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Thanks again to Curt, Sarah, and all the Minions for a other great Challenge. I fell short of my rather modest 300-point goal, mostly due to work commitments. But, I was able to paint up a couple of my favourite Star Wars characters, and I finally finished these particular Ogre miniatures, which I had assembled back in 2019!

"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age." - Painting Challenge Submission #2

Star Wars: Legion does not have a model for Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, as he appeared in the original 'Star Wars' movie. 

Last year I purchased from Order66miniatures on Etsy three different 40mm size prints for that Old Fossil, all 3D sculpted by Madox 3D (Felipe Manivel). (This particular pose seems to be taken from the Star Wars: Rebels episode entitled "Twin Suns", when Ben finally defeated a half-prosthetic Darth Maul.) This year's Painting Challenge prompted me to finally get some paint on this figure.

Ben is a very nice print, with a dynamic pose, good anatomy (check out the face and those hands), and almost completely unnoticeable printing lines. I really like the flowing robes and tassels. I just used some brass wire for the lightsaber blade, instead of the resin one; I have real doubts about the separate resin blade holding up to gaming. I shaped the blade tip with a diamond dust file, which worked a treat on the soft metal.

I did my usual black priming with GW Chaos Black, and airbrushed zenithal highlights with Vallejo Dead White.  Face and hands were under painted in Vallejo acrylics, with details and blending in various artists' oils. 

I do have the book Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy, which has nice colour photos of Ben's costume.  I went with lighter values for his shirt, under tunic, and hooded robe, as opposed to the movie colours. Did some detailing with Payne’s Grey and Titanium White oils for the under tunic. Ben's brown robe was finished mostly with a few washes combining GW's Agrax Earthshade and Reikland Fleshade. I weathered his clothing, adding stains and little tears using artists' oils.

I have now painted 5 figures sculpted by Felipe, all taken from the original 'Star Wars' in 1977. Madox has a couple of Patreon pages,  illustrating his interests in both Space Wars and the Seven Years War. 

Scoring: 7 points for a 40mm figure (Darth Vader is over 45mm tall!), plus 20 bonus points for Death Star (Hubris). Hubris, thy name is Obi-wan Kenobi. Hubris to think he could properly train young Anakin, hubris to hold the the Jedi order's myopic worldview, and hubris to try and control the information that he provided to Luke. Plus, the Death Star is the location of Kenobi's final duel with his former padawan. Total = 27 points for this year's Challenge.

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Using Ben Kenobi in Star Wars: Legion

Star Wars: Legion only has rules for Obi-Wan Kenobi as a much younger man, representing him as a Jedi Master and General during the Clone Wars. The character's rules and command cards reflect this. I belong to an unofficial Star Wars Legion Custom Cards group on FB. Member Charlie Soden came up with some interesting cards to use Ben Kenobi during the Galactic Rebellion era, a generation after the events in the Clone Wars. Ben is less of a juggernaut in close combat, moving more slowly and inflicting less raw damage. Ben is still very much a master of defense, and is much more adept at using the Force, including the mysteries of becoming a Force ghost. (Note that there is a slight error in the character card below; Master of the Force: 2 allows the readying of 2 Force powers.)