Friday, 25 October 2019

New wasteland rigs.

Welcome back to my blog. 


Recently I have been working on some hotwheels cars. Here is the latest bunch. They are intended for my own Blood & Fire setting using Warlands rules. But there is no reason why they can’t see table time for other rule sets such as Gaslands, Axels & Alloys or Darkfuture. 


Group shot:- A scrap runner from Conn is pursued across the wastelands by a Intacepta and Tya Dok from Warlord Carnage’s hordes. Spotting the distant action a lone Road Kill vehicle joins in the chase. The lure of high speed combat is irresistible. 


The Skrap runner:

This car comes from a ancient stone fortress called Conn. It runs scavenged supplies to the fortress. 


The base car was a Hotwheels 70 Chevelle station wagon. It had the studs drilled out and glass removed. A The driver, side armour and bull bars came from the Gaslands sprue by Northstar games. The gun and Jerry cans are by Ramshackle Games. The luggage is from a 28mm figure. The front window bars are a lollipop stick. 


The blower is by Abberant Games from their Warlands range. 



The rear tombstone is by Ramshackle Games and the rear window bars are lollipop stick. 


The car features stock paint with various logos and decal ageing done with nail polish remover and a cotton bud. Rust colours were painted on followed by drydrushing for the dirt. I like this car. It’s gives me the impression that it is only a few bumps from falling to bits.


The Intacepta: 

This car serves the Warlord Carnage by hunting vehicles. The harpoon is used to take out tyres or crew. Or with weaker vehicles harpoon the body work and slow it down to a stop. The objective is to try to capture the vehicle and crew with as little damage as possible. 


The base vehicle is a Hotwheels 69 Ford Torino Talledega . The original intention was to build a copy of the chase car in the opening scene of Mad Max2 Roadwarrior. Somehow it didn’t happen. 


Instead it ended up this way. The studs were drilled out and the windows replaced by the almost compulsory mesh. The wheels where moved to the underside of the car as the original was slammed. A dual rear wheel was added, a popular wheel widening technique in the Wastelands. In this case other spare hotwheels wheels where glued on. The rear had a floor added for the gunner and cargo.


The front bumper is plastic tubing. Blower is by Autokill. Harpoon is from the Northstar Gaslands sprue. The gunner is from Stan Johannsen. Luggage came from a 28mm figure.


The front bullbars is a bit of chassis from a 1/76 tank transporter model. 


The rear armour is by Stan Johannsen, rear bumper came from a lollipop stick, the luggage is 1/35 and 28mm pouches. There is Jerry cans from a 1/76 scale model in the back and a box of grenades from Ramshackle games. 


The paint is the original paint scheme and finished in a similar fashion to the Conn Skraprunner. Before that Warlord Carnage symbols where added with Pokka paint markers. The markings are inspired by the symbols Immortan Joe and Scrotus use in Fury Road & Mad Max game.


Tya Dok:

The Tya Dok is a transport used by Carnage. They follow convoys and war parties replacing tyres and carrying out light repairs to keep the vehicles moving. They also strip what they can from vehicles too damaged to keep going and repair captured vehicles. Tya Dok’s can sometimes get split up from the convoy or force and wasteland gangs will do their best to capture such a useful asset. 


This model started life as a Hotwheels 87 Dodge truck. It just got a coating matt black paint. Then I added bits to it. Thinking about it, I should have built it first then painted it. 


The front ram is from the Northstar Gaslands sprue and the window armour is from Stan Johannsen. 


The door armour came from a gift card. The wheels are from broken Hotwheels cars and the Northstar Gaslands sprue. 


A small bit of plastic tube was bent and added as an exhaust pipe. Keeping it simple I had it exit through the front wheel arch. Digging through the bits box I found a plastic cog so I attached it to the door. 


Graffiti and Warlord Carnage symbols was added using a paint marker. Then the rust and dirt followed. 


Road Kill - Big Red: 

Road Kill are a rival gang to Warlord Carnage and they are moving in across his territories. Operating from remote camps the Road Kill gangs are a hazard to anyone they encounter in the wastelands not just Carnage. Road kill like to decorate with skulls and spanners. Vehicles are often painted Red if possible. 


Big Red is a command vehicle shown by the huge off road wheels and turret machine gun. It started life as a Tesco own brand monster truck. The classic lines of the body caught my eye. 


The front airscoop came from the ever useful Northstar Gaslands Sprue. The machine gun and turret is from Ramshackle Games. The front window grill was a scrap of granny grating left over from a terrain build. The front plow was scratch built from gift cards. I tried to make it look a bit fierce some looking. 


The wheel arches where blanked off as was the rear side window with scraps of gift card. Gift card scraps also became the wheel blades. The driver is from Stan Johannsen. For some reason crew members sit low in this car. 


The rear window armour is also gift card. A crossed bones shield decoration from a 28mm fantasy zombie adds to the rear decoration. 


The passenger here is by Ramshackle games.


I had forgotten how much fun modding hotwheels cars was. It was modding hotwheels and matchbox cars for Axels and Alloys 15 years ago that got me back into the hobby. While I have used some parts from hobby suppliers there is a fair bit of junk added from the bits box. The lessons here is don’t throw anything away. These cars have lollipop sticks, gift card, metal mesh and scraps of granny grating on them. 


What next? So far I have plans for another Road kill vehicle and maybe something from the factories of Civilisation. Plus I am working on at least one more vehicle for Warlord Carnage. I would like to start a buzzard gang too. 


Thanks for looking. Stay safe out there. 










Thursday, 24 October 2019

The Matt Black Healers/Matt Black Cross

Welcome back my wandering friend. 


Time to revisit a older faction of mine - one so old it didn’t make it into this blog. Time to change that. 


The Vaultsys Vault 999 was populated with Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Engineers and other humanitarians (and a few hippies too). During their time underground they decided that to help humanity re-build their destroyed world they would need medicine, teaching and help. 


They formed the Matt Black Healers - otherwise known as the Matt Black Cross. When the vault opened in the Glowing Wastes they set up a hospital above it. The vault was used to make medicines and other items wastelanders would need. 


They set up teams to wander the wastes teaching and helping. Each team had a Surgeon, A Medic, 2 nurses, a survivalist and engineer. They also had some guards. Plenty of Mercs were willing to work for low wages because the health care was so good. 


The faction attracted hordes of people wanting to learn. The wandering teams also pick up people out in the Wastes who like the life style. 


Today the Matt Black Healers are spread across most of the wastelands. Their knowledge, skills and teaching has saved countless lives. It is one of the few factions that isn't obsessed with fighting, killing and war. The faction are also looking to build schools in the larger settlements to start to educate people not only in medicine & survival but reading and writing as well. 



This couple of figures are reworks for the faction. They serve as medics/doctors for the teams. The figure on the left is a Grenadier Future Cop and the figure on the right is a plastic Combat Zone trooper (by EM4). Both figures got fresh paint but the CZ trooper got some putty shoulder pads too. 




Sometime in the future I will have to get a group shot of this faction (all four of them to date!). 


Thanks for looking. Take care out there. 

The Rubbleborg Irregulars

Ahhh Welcome back Wanderer, treat yourself to a rat on a stick while I tell you about the Rubbleborg Irregulars. 


BZZZTTT - THUNK - THUNK- THUNK - BZZZTT is this thing on? Uh? Right!” 

The Rubbleborg newly installed tannoy announcement system kicks into life, much to the annoyance of the township’s residents.


Attention Rubbleborg Citizens - this is the first broadcast by your Mayor Bustrd. I have had troubling news that deep in the Blasted Ruins, the mutant cult are rising again. Calm yourselves, news from Trashford indicates that this may be a different cult but intel is sketchy at this point. Hopefully the cult will become a pain for the bloody Brittiannan’s rather than us. Still with a new cult on the horizon and the annoying growth of Brittianna city I think the Borg needs a more permanent defence force so we are forming a permanent full time milita. If you are interested and think you have the stuff to join the Rubbleborg Irregulars go speak to Captain Dunk. T’s n C’s apply. BZZZTTT - THUNK“ 


This motley lot are the first recruits to the Rubbleborg Irregulars.



Left to Right:

Kara (Grenadier future cop- reworked from my collection), Shorty Drinksonly (classic 40K Rogue Trader figure, newly painted), Skullson (Classic Necromunda Bounty Hunter - a painted eBay find which I rebased) and Fred Tenson (10 figure conversion). 




A better look at Shorty Drinksonly. He is a 40K Rouge Trader Adventurer from back in the mists of time. I have been chasing this figure for over 30 years and I found him unpainted on eBay for a decent price. He painted up quickly and was fun to paint. 


I plan to expand the Irregulars with some other Classic 40K Oldhammer figures at some point in the future. 


Thanks for looking, stay frosty out there. 


Convert a 10

Welcome back Wanderer, come get warm by the fire. Let me tell you about Ten. 


Over on the Post Apoc Wargames Forum 


https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/post_apoc_wargames/


There is a annual challenge set by the Warlord. This year’s challenge was to convert the celebration 10 year figure. See what others have done here:


https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/post_apoc_wargames/warlords-challenge-2019-f59/


Finally I have gotten around to doing the  Warlord’s challenge - Convert a 10 figure. Took me long enough to get motivated. 


I got carried away and forgot to take WIP pictures as I went along. DOH! 


Starting with a 10 figure I had a dig about in the bits box. After uncovering a few different arms from various manufacturers I discovered a pistol wielding arm. The arm came from EM4 Trooper Command arms - which are metal and designed to add a bit of variety to the Combat Zone plastic troopers. 



Carefully I clipped the arm away from the figure and filed it smooth. The shoulder pad had to be removed too. At this point I filled a couple of holes in the cast, mainly in the backpack and sleeping roll. 


The arm was lined up by eye and the spigot trimmed off. The arm was further trimmed to make it fit. After supergluing the arm in place a little greenstuff filler was added. A new shoulder pad was sculpted from greenstuff.

 


Hey presto - done. I meant to add some further pouches but I forgot in my hurry to finish the figure. DOH!!


A simple and fairly quick conversion. I may do more in the future as I still have a pile of these figures (if anyone is interested in getting a 10 figure please contact me at mattblackgod@gmail.com).  


Thanks for looking. Take care out there.

Maul

Hello and welcome back Wanderer. Pull up a crate and let me tell you about Maul. 


Maul drifted into Rubbleborg one dark and stormy night. As he carries a flak cannon the locals decided to leave Maul alone and not ask him to leave. Besides he didn’t really cause any trouble he just has the look an of oncoming storm. 




Since his arrival in the township Maul works as muscle or as a mercenary. Work he usually performs with frightening efficiency. 

 



Mayor Bustrd made the mistake of saying the town milita could do with new kit within ear shot of Maul. Maul walked out of town and returned hauling a several sets body armour and weapons. In Brittannia colours, still dripping with blood. 


Maul is a Necromunda (2017 Ed) Orlock with a Iron pig head and some bits from the bits box. 


Thanks for looking and take care out there. 

The crew of the Wasteland Star

Hello Wastelander, welcome back to my blog. Pull up a crate and let me introduce the crew of the Wasteland Star.


The Wasteland Star is a crawler pulling a land train from the highly contaminated ruins of the Red Star (Neo Sov) “state”. These ruins are situated thousands of miles East of Rubbleborg & Brittannia City. 


One day pair of stalkers searching for loot were driven into a “highly dangerous” (forbidden) zone in the ruins by packs of mutant beasts and discovered something strange. A heavily guarded huge vehicle was moving slowly through the ruins. By the looks of it the vehicle was from the old times. It could haul huge amounts of cargo or people totally protected from the contaminated world it was moving through. The Stalkers shadowed the crawler to its base guarded by Red Star super troopers, who are genetically modified soldiers used to keep a grip on the ruins. 



Returning to the metro network beneath the city the Stalkers gathered a band of brothers (and one sister) from various stations and moved to discover the truth about the crawler. As they were lead to believe that they where the last ones alive in the world many questions came to mind. Where did this machine come from? Was there an outside world beyond the contaminated ruins? Was there more people out there besides them?  The mission wouldn’t be easy as the super troopers where highly trained and stronger than normal people. 


The initial storming of the station went well but the Red Star threw every asset they had at the station. The Stalkers took heavy losses and decided that the crawler was their only escape. In the they crawler headed out into the ruins with the Super troopers in hot pursuit in various vehicles. The Stalkers fought hard to keep the crawler clear of boarders and eventually they broke free of the ruins. 



After 100 miles they where certain that the Neo Sov forces where no longer in pursuit. Stopping at the remains of a old factory they worked hard to patch the crawler up. There they named it “Wasteland Star”.  Now they cannot return home as the Red Star will have a prices on their heads. Now free from the grip of the Red Star state they wander the wastelands looking for a suitable place that they can call home. 


The crew of the Wasteland star are Lead Adventure figures - Ruin Raiders and Stalkers. With one exception...this lady from Bad Squiddo games



She acts as a scout in the crew. 


The LAM figures paint up quickly and they have a good level of detail without being a pain in the eyeballs to paint. 


The background was inspired by the background behind the Metro Exodus computer game with a Mattblackgod’s world twist. The whole idea seems a good way for a group to explore the world. Who knows where they will end up? I may add more figures to the faction as time goes on (I have some half converted 40K Valhalla troops someplace that will fit). I am leaving naming the characters for now. Meanwhile I need to find or make a suitable vehicle(s) to use as a crawler or land train.  


That’s it for now....thanks for looking and stay safe out there.

Saturday, 12 October 2019

Some hotwheels WIP


Hello and welcome back to my blog, 


While I have several 28mm figures on the go my brain has been itching at me to get cracking on my 20mm stuff. So here comes some WIP builds from the Warlord’s chop shop. 


First up is the Tyredok - Inspired by a vehicle in Fury Road I started work on this a couple of years back. Warlord Carnage needs one for his vehicle hordes.




It has had some bits from the bits box, plus parts from the North Star Gaslands sprue and Stan Johansen bits.



The vehicle is intended as support and is unarmed (I am creating for Warlands rather than Gaslands mainly as it has infantry rules). 


The Northstar Gaslands sprue is worth investing in especially. There is a motorbike on them too. 



Quite a decent looking ride I think. 


 There is also these two builds on the production line. The green station wagon is intended as a service vehicle for a settlement. It has a mix of Aberrant, NS Gaslands and Ramshackle bits on it. It still needs more. Possibly protection over the windows.



The sliver car (Hotwheels Ford Torino) has been drilled out, had a floor added to the rear, meshed windows, wheels lowered on the body (I do wish Hotwheels would stop making slammed cars - they would be useless in a post apocalyptic world), dual tyre rear wheels (this seems to be a compulsory modification if you have seen Mad Max 2 - Roadwarrior), a rod rear bumper and autokill blower. It needs more adding. The intention with this rig is to have a rear gunner and some sort of plinth mounted weapon on the roof. 



I have forgotten how much fun hacking hotwheels cars about is. 


That all for now - keep watching. 


Thanks for looking. Stay safe out there.