D-mang a Trios

Over on Instagram there is a dude who builds Gasland’s builds. He raffles off his cars regularly so I chipped in and won this awesome car. D-mage a trios is a three wheeled build of bits. 

The body shell lifts off. I may have to add a driver.

The car came with a certificate of authenticity and a note on what went into the build. 

If you are Instagram follow @gokartmozartcustoms and  take a peek at some of his other builds. 

Thanks for looking.

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. 

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.

Warboy transport.

Hello and Welcome back.

Sometime last year I began working on a transport for my 20mm warboys for use in my Blood and Fire setting and to be used in  games of Warlands or Gaslands. 

This is a 1/72 Warlord M3 half track kit. The chassis was taken and a Hotwheels car body & engine added. The body was hacked and stretched to fit the M3 chassis. Thankfully it was a plastic body and easy to work on. Various bits from the M3 kit and the junk box was added. 

During painting the primer became textured as the solvent in the can seemed to be running low. It has added a gritty effect to the paint job. 

That’s all for now. Thanks for looking and take care out there.

Wasteland forces WIP

Hello and welcome back to my blog. I hope the wastelands have been kind to you.

Hobby work has been creeping along slowly. Some of this has been inspired by playing the Mad Max video game.

To that end I have been tempted to return to my 20mm Blood & Fire setting. I am itching to tryout Warlands or Gaslands. Warlands wins for me as it includes infantry rules, although I have figured out how to include footsloggers in Gaslands. As I am thinking about 20mm I thought it best to go look at my 20mm car collection. A few weeks ago a shelf collapsed in the man cave. The shelf where my 20mm collection was stored (note to self, don't put up shelves when you have the flu). With some trepidation I opened the boxes. Most of the cars survived ok but I had to carry out some repairs.

There is a mix of Dark Future, Warlands and many hotwheels/matchbox conversions in there. Lots of nice fun to get out on the tabletop post apocalyptic roads. There is plenty to work on too. I got so excited I ordered some of Stan Johansen's 20mm road warriors.

Some work on my 28mm has been going on too. Here are a few WIPs. I got the Nu Necromunda Orlocks assembled. They go together nicely, much better than the Eshers and Golaiths. They have one peice heads which helps. The Orlocks are going to be a trader convoy road guards. They have a certain Road warrior look to them and fit the Post Apocalyptic theme.

One thing that I do not like about these minis is the hipster beards and mustaches. I am not a fan of the look and they certainly don't fit the wastelands. As they are going to be out in the wastes it wasn't too difficult to make some greenstuff face scarves.

In general I like the Orlock kit and there are plenty of spares for conversions. The spare heavy weapons will be adorning some wasteland big hitter vehicles.

As I have been playing Mad Max I have been getting inspired to build a Wasteland Milita for the many strongholds out in the wastelands. Firearms especially automatic weapons are limited. These are usually armed with bows, crossbows and melee weapons. There is a long shot sniper and a couple of people with common firearms (pistol and shotgun).

The figures are WIP and are bitzas of old GW Mordenheim, Warlord Zulu War British, Warlord WW2 British and Wargames Factory Apocalypse Survivors kits. The arms and heads of the Apocalypse Survivors swap nicely with the Warlord figures. The figures need a bit of green stuff and some bits to finish them.

That is all for now. Thanks for reading.

Take care out there.

Road Warrior Car - Finished

Hello and welcome back. There will be a bit of post bombardment as I catch up with the odds and ends I have been doing in the last week or two.

As you may recall from previous posts, over on the Post Apoc Wargames forum the Warlord's 2016 challenge is to build a post apoc vehicle. Take a look and join in! Look here.

For the Challenge I have been working on making a Road Warrior Car for my Blood and Fire setting. To be exact a rebuilt Fury Road variant of the Interceptor. In the fill in the gaps graphic novel Max rebuilds a Interceptor from bits he scavenges or wins in contests.
Since the last report work has been slowly moving forward in the painting. I am glad to say that the car is finished.  

The not Max figure is The Stranger from the Warlands range by Aberrant Games . 

The tank and blower are items from Warlands. The resin stowage and jerry cans are made by Fields Of Glory and are intended for 1:72 WW2 Allied vehicles. 

The exhausts are made from 1mm brass wire bent to fit. 

 I am not too happy with the scratch made front panel. However this is the rebuilt wasteland (Fury Road) version of the Interceptor so I wont lose sleep over it. 

This was a fun and interesting build for me and I have learnt a few new techniques for future post apoc car builds. 

Thanks for looking and stay safe out there. 

Stranger and his dog.

Welcome back to my humble blog. 

Every Wasteland needs a wandering anti hero doing good possibly for his own gain. If like my Blood and Fire setting vehicular insanity is part of the fun then your Anti Hero needs to be some sort of Not Mad Max. 

In this case it is The Stranger and his dog for Warlands by Aberrant games. 

The Stranger is up for hire in a Wasteland near you....I look forward to getting him into trouble in a few games soon. 

The car is a die-cast by M2 - nice 1/64 cars that size up well with Hotwheels. M2 cars are more detailed and have rubber tyres on the wheels. This car came with several spare wheels which have gone into the spares bin. The cars can be split easily as they are held together with screws. The downside is M2 cars cost a lot more than Hotwheels or Matchbox. 

The stripped car. I look forward to getting this car converted. 

Thanks for looking. See ya on the roads! 

Blood & Fire - Warlands Vehicles.

Welcome back to my blog. These posts are like buses. You hang around for ages and several come along at once! 

One of the things I have been working on are the resin vehicles from the Warlands set and the Maxwell car. 

First up the buggies....

I chose the black livery for one (not that you can tell under the dirt and weathering). which will fit Warlord Blackskull's horde. The other is a rustbucket which can be happy attached to any force I feel like. 

Buggies race across the wastelands of the paint table! 

The buggies are a pleasure to paint and well detailed. 

A size comparison of a Warlands buggy with a Dark Future Renegade. 

Another vehicle in the Warlands boxed set is the Truck. 

The truck is well detailed and fun to paint. Again I have chosen the black paint scheme of Warlord Blackskull. 

The truck will be used as a cargo hauler/objective. In the Mad Max computer game there are similar looking Scrap Hauling trucks. I am thinking of making a few cargo bases for the truck. Scrap, fuel barrels, water barrels and general supplies are a few ideas I am playing with. 

Another set from the Warlands range is the Maxwell car and Stranger figure (the bases on the figures still need finishing). 

Although I am not going to arm too many cars in Blood & Fire I decided a road warrior car may be packing some heat, in this case a Spud Cannon (autocannon). 

I quite like the Warlands stuff and I foresee myself buying some more vehicles in the future. 

Thanks for looking.