Monday 26 May 2014

15mm Sci-Fi WIP

During the last couple of weeks I have been a 15mm sic fi obsessed mad man. I have been flitting between figures, vehicles and terrain. So I thought I would treat (???) you all to a glimpse into what is happening with the 15mm stuff on the workbench. 

Many years ago a game using hot wheels cars called Axles & Alloys got me back into the hobby. My old Dark Future game also reared its head during this period.  I picked up some odds and ends to make terrain. Then the 28mm bug hit when I discovered my old 40K RT figures in a box. 

While routing through the stuff to make pile I discovered this gem. This watch tower is 1/76 and came with a WW2 German AT gun and a cottage. I was only interested in the cottage back then. But this tower (and the AT gun) will find new life with my 15s. 


I was happily surprised that the 15s fit it nicely (in the background there is the Wolfden Security Force in mid paint). 

I need some scatter terrain so I knocked together a supply stash, Liquid (Water) storage and a couple of oil drums. 



Out on the border worlds water can be difficult to acquire. Often Water Extractors are used to pull moisture from the atmosphere.


Made from a pile of old electronics caps and pen top. It needs more detail adding. 

I stole the wheels off a cheap 4x4 toy. I still had the body so I built a grav patrol car. 


The grav units are handles off cheap razors. I need to figure out how to make the bases for this. I don't like grav vehicles flying high. They should just skim about half a meter off the ground. 

My mate Jay also sent me a 1/76 Sherman Tank kit. I had to build a grav tank...


Its an older pattern vehicle and sports an early plasma cannon. These old vehicles are often found doing the rounds on frontier and border worlds. 

The Sherman needs filling and armour plates adding. Again I am looking at ways to make a base so it looks like it is hovering. 


Then there is the old matchbox helicopter. This as become a flying Grav VTOL. The Grav unit above it enables flight. Some sort of engine/propulsion assembly is needed. I am debating if I should arm it or just keep it as a transport. 

Inspired by the old Unreal Tournament 2004 team computer games I thought a Power Core would be in order. 


This power core is WIP and requires a lot more bits and detail to finish it. Then I need to figure out how to make smaller power nodes. 

Not displayed here is a Colonist Cargo Transporter (repainted Matchbox truck), Browncoats Patrol vehicle (converted Matchbox truck) and a 4x4 transport truck for the Rogues (converted Hotwheels pickup). Then there is the Hex platformer buildings, platforms and landing pad I have built. 

Speaking of my old car combat games I discovered a load of old hot wheels cars I had for conversion and my old bits box of items which will work well on 15mm models. The madness is about to get worse!! Muh-huuu-huuurrrrr!!!

I am also wondering how Dark Future cars look with 15mm figures.....

24th Browncoats

During the many wars & invasions that has happened across the colonies and independent edge worlds the Confederacy of Independent worlds raised many reg tag looking regiments to fight off various invaders be they pirates, Solar Nations, Corporations or the Galactic Blok nations. Many of these regiments where nicked named "Browncoats" because of the distinctive Brown Coats worn by these freedom fighters. 

While Wolfden is not a member of the Confederacy it is a important trade hub for many of the Confederate worlds. To protect Wolfden the 24th "Browncoats" where posted to the world. After a few years the figment disbanded and quite a few fighters stayed on Wolfden forming a Mercenary company in the pay of the World's leader:- Lady Valium. They see various deployments against the Outback and Badlands gangs or as extra muscle for the Wolfden Security Forces. 





Group shot: 


The figures are 15mm.co.uk Rim Mercenaries. 

I see this force as begin quite rag tag mixing equipment and uniform colours. The only thing tying them together is the Browncoat they wear. In the to paint pile is a converted Matchbox vehicle which will serve as a patrol vehicle. 

This force will grow as there are more Rim Mercenary packs available from 15mm.co.uk. I am also tempted to mix in some WW2 US GIs and USA Vietnam figures too. In the end I would like this force to be at least Platoon strength as I plan some games of Stargrunt. 

The Souljackers

Me old mate on Twitter, Jay (@souljacker1974) has been up to his old tricks again. Another mystery parcel landed on my door mat. In it I found these three superb figures and a 1/76 Sherman Tank kit (more on the Tank kit in a later blog post). Cheers Jay. I owe you a few scoops of Fungus Beer and a Rat Kebab. 

Jay sent me some details of the characters he had created too. But before we get to that I have decided to band Jay's figures together. Introducing The Souljackers. 

The Souljackers are one of the many gangs serving under the Warlord of the Republic of Dan. The Warlord likes this mob as they have plenty of firepower to keep the hordes of mutants back. The Souljackers look forward to being deployed to fight off the invaders from over the mountains to keep the Republic free from the clutches of civilisation and protect the secrets of the ancients hidden in its Wastelands. 

First Up: Brian & Colin...in Jay's own words. 

Brian is a vacuum sales man by day in the wastelands offering a quality service from his nukem and suck em vacuum cleaners they get the entire house clean in seconds all bar a few bricks but he keeps trying to go legit by night he hunts out radical mutants applying the law with his boom stick. 

Colin by day looks after small animals at his radioactive pet shop he luvs his dogs. By night he is a door man at the 3 tited  mutant bar up town keep in the peace with his 50 cal machine gun called "Joker" he unwinds at the end of the night by having a dance off Maria the 3 tited mutant toad. They are also best mates and like nothing more once a month getting together to form their Abba tribute act. 





Next up: 
So eric started the whole new romantic scene after the war but like all ways a old fad is hard to take off he spends most of his time campaigning for the safe waste of unexploded bombs hence his blue hair. By night he is a private detective and will hunt any one down for a price when he has a night off he likes nothing more than going down the club and listing to sum classic new romantic ballads oh and eric would love a crisp white ruffled shirt just like the good old days but makes do with his rag tag one he has....





The whole Gang sp far: 



Jay's Cork Base effect looks great and hats off to the man, his fluff is great. Thank you once again Jay! :-)

Sunday 11 May 2014

Yet more 15mm Sci-Fi Goodness

There has been quite a bit of 15mm work going on here this week. I only managed to get the Rogues gang finished but there has been some vehicles and terrain completed. 


A Barricade. Another bitza from left over bits from my 28mm Hexagon Platformer sets. 

Citizens of many frontier world's make use of small all terrain vehicles for getting about. Definitive Colony Systems (DCS) build the Mule which has proved popular with the colonists. 



The Mule is a toy from a Kinder Egg repainted. 

The colonies and frontier worlds have many old vehicles laying around. Many are on their last legs. A few are rusting heaps of junk abandoned and forgotten. 


This truck is a cheap toy from a mining toy set. A quick repaint and it's ready for the tabletop. This is to be used either as a vehicle or a terrain. 

Are you located in a Remote Station? Need a rugged transporter to haul supplies? Then Definitive Colony Systems (DCS) has the answer for you. You need the DCS Rover. Rugged all wheel drive, traction control, powerful hydro-electro motors, bouncy suspension, fancy braking systems, cupholder,30 billion song digi music system, lots of transport space, optional fluffy dice...Yes the DCS Rover is the Vehicle for you!!! 


The DCS Rover....


The Rover is a Matchbox Vaniom toy. I glued the wheels up and gave it a repaint. 


For £1.50 I cant complain. Shame the supermarket had sold out of these when I went back. 

Planet Wolfden:- The Rogues

The Badland's is a semi arid region of Planet Wolfden over run with villains and bandits. The region is a nogo for  the planet's Authorities. Like the Outback it is littered with wrecks of Pirate & Freelancer vessels that where involved in the battle to free Wolfden from the Pirates over 100 years ago. Many of  these wrecks are home to all manner of scum who often use the ship's surviving (and ageing) arsenals to keep the the Authorities at bay.  

Wolfden has many legends of lost pirate and freelancer loot laying in various (allegedly) undiscovered wrecks across the world.  Another legend is that the allegedly "merchant" McNulty who founded/freed the world was a ex pirate and he had hidden a secret stash of loot. This attracts adventurers to Wolfden who seek quick riches.

Deep in the Badlands lays the wreck of the Rogue, an old pirate Corvette. This is used as a base for a bandit gang called "the Rogues". The Rogues pull raids into Wolfden City and the Space Port. 

The Rogues - 15mm.co.uk Raiders. I cant find this lot on the site so I am not sure if they are OOP.  

Some Rogues are making off  with some loot. This duo is one of the reasons I like this set. The guy on the Right wears the Rogues icon of the Red Skull. 

The Rogues prefer fast strike vehicles to make their raids.This example is unarmed so the can enter Wolfden City or Space Port. Armed vehicles are not allowed into the city or space port. 

The car is a toy from a Kinder Egg. I added new rear wheels from another toy. 


Sunday 4 May 2014

Planet Wolfden - 15mm Sci Fi

I have recently decided to keep going on my 15mm Sci Fi stuff. I decided to put everything on a single frontier world and develop my collection around this world. 

Introducing Planet Wolfden: 

Wolfden is a semi arid independent world that is a trade hub for many other colonies and frontier worlds. 

Wolfden was partially terraformed when it was discovered and had the accolade of the furthest colony from Earth. During the terraforming process Pirates moved in and used the world as a base. Years later the arriving colonists got a nasty surprise and were never heard from again. The Pirates named their world "Wolf-Den". 

After Earth's destruction (see the Wild Galaxy background) there was many new colonies further out than Wolfden and the Pirates became a real menace. A rich "Merchant" (rumor has it he was a Ex-Pirate looking to settle down) hired a small fleet of Privateer & Freelancer vessels to rid the sector of the Pirates. 

The Privateers launched a surprise attack. A fierce battle followed and the worlds surface has many wrecks from this fight. The surviving pirates fled. Soon after the liberation of Wolfden a colony was formed becoming fiercely independent and the  rest is history. 

Wolfden has a Space Port, a Capitol City, the Desert Region (the Outback), a Star Ship Junk Yard (Hullscape) and the Bad lands. There is also shallow seas, small forests & jungles and small icecaps. 

More details of this world will be released as the background grows (read as my demented mind dreams it up). 

In the Outback there is a nomadic group of known as the 'Mad's who raid everyone who crosses their path. The 'Mads claim that they are the descendants of some of the pirate crews of Wolfden and claim that Wolfden is rightfully theirs. 
The 'Mad's are 15mm.co.uk Arid World Warriors. 

West of the Spaceport lies a Starship Scrapyard known as Hullscape. These ships are old transports that were converted for carrying colonists and supplies. They were on their last legs and the colony founders bought them for a one way trip to Wolfden. 

The ships were kept for parts and scrap. Hullscape is a nightmare maze of rusting passageways and dead ends. It wasn't long before the authorities lost control to the gangs. These gangs are known as Skrappers. 

The Skrappers are 15mm.co.uk Post Apocalyptic Warriors. 

I was pleased at how quickly all of these figures painted up. The sharp eyed will probably realize that this lot can also be used for Post Apoc. I am hedging my bets on this figures, just in case I decide to go to 15mm on all my collection. 

I have also been working on a couple of bits of terrain for 15mm. The only one I have finished is this Colony Building.

The building is made up from small spare bits of Hexagon Platformer kits. 

The ribbed bits make good windows I think. 

There is more 15mm Factions & Terrain to follow.