The Wasteocrates

I am slowly building my forces for the Republic of Dan ready to face the Forces of Great Lakes. A little of this weeks brush work is to do with this. The Warlord Figure got reworked, another got repaired and a new figure painted. 

The Warlord - Mad Dan was born in the Tunnels under the ruins of Matt Black City. Trapped by the contaminated Hell Zone above the survivors scratched a life out under the planet's once great capitol. Mad Dan worked as a Stalker bringing items from the contaminated ruins above.

One day he found a vehicle capable of crossing the ruined world and bit by bit got it running. Using fuel salvaged he managed to fill it up. With a stock pile of filters and rad medicine and other essentials Mad Dan ran the vehicle out of the Hell Zone. The only man so far to escape the heavily contaminated area. When the fuel ran out Mad Dan found a world where he could walk without his precocious NBC suit. He dumped the vehicle and wandered on foot.

For many years he wandered the Wastes of Mattblackgod's world looking for a place. One day he wandered across a mountain range and discovered the Wastelands. Fighting the mutant creatures here he fought his way to the Mound, a large natural plateau that would serve as a defensive position. Building some defenses he lit a signal  fire and some of his friends who where searching the mountains for salvage soon joined the Warlord. 

They soon went forth and spread the to other friends. With in a couple of years a new town had formed and a fortress built around it. The Mound they called it and the new wastelands were named "the Republic of Dan". The name they gave themselves was "Wasteocrates"

The Mound has many different gangs and factions. Whilst this can be a headache in keeping the peace it is also handy for keeping control. It is difficult to cross to the Mound through the Wastes of the Republic of Dan. Of course the Warlord's justice can be harsh and his word is final. There are a number of ways in which transgressors are dealt with from Outhouse Duty for a month, enforced slavery (in the case of owed goods/cheating) to throwing them into the mutant pit covered in BBQ sauce. It has been known that some Spam traders have been crucified on a old tree out in the Wastes...well that's if the Warlord's enforcers do not shoot them on sight. In the odd case the transgressor has been pushed into the lair of a terrible Wasteland mutant known as "Ol Gregg". 

 There are many mutant beasts and if you are not in vehicle you can get caught outside after dark. Not a good prospect. The Wasteocrates have several safe houses where groups can stay over night and not become a snack for something with tentacles for a face. 

One of the stranger members of the Warband is Sham. He is a trusted advisor of the Warlord. Sham knows much. He can heal and he knows the Wastelands like no other. It is rumored that he has PSI abilities but no one has dared ask. 

One of the Warlord's Enforcers is a guy known as Brummie. Little is known of this Wastelander. He came from deep within some ruins in the Brittannia Wastelands. Like many others he has wandered until he found The Mound. The place suited him and it was not long until his skills got him noticed by the Warlord. 

More Wasteocrates to follow - Stay Tuned!!

Sprue Cutters Union #26: Glue.

This week's Sprue Cutters Union is a hobby basic - Glue. 

We all use the sticky stuff both Wargamer and Model Maker alike. So what glue's do I use and what for? 

The majority of my model making is done in the living room. This allows me to enjoy my hobby while my wife watches TV (usually sports!). We get to spend time together, which is the important thing. Now the problem with this is I cannot use glues with a smell. So for all my figures and kits I use good old Super Glue. 

As I use them for Metal, Plastic and Resin kits & figures thin glue is out. I find it runs everywhere and the figure or my fingers get stuck together. The glue of choice is Gel super glue such as Loctite Ultra Gel. It also comes in handy for filling small gaps. 

Another staple for me is good old PVA (white) Glue. I use two types. The first is the craft glues you find in most stores. This is great for basing and allows me to stick sand, girt, (clean) cat litter, Static Grass, Flock and bits of cork to my figure bases. The smaller bottle is handy for getting glue near the feet of the figure. I use a sliver of plastic card to spread the glue around the base. 

The other PVA glue is the stronger Builders PVA which is just as cheap but can be found in Hardware/DIY stores. I use this for gluing bits of polystyrene foam, making textured paint and basing terrain. 

Many of you may have seen my addiction to adding posters to my terrain. These are often printed off on my printer. The problem is that good old PVA often causes the inks to run. So I use a Sailor Glue Pen which can be found in many card making stores. It is ideal for applying the glue and it doesn't make the ink run. 

Finally the last weapon in my glue arsenal is the good old Hot Glue Gun. This tool is great for sticking large items together when making terrain and dioramas. In addition it is quick unlike PVA which can take hours to dry. Some times I use the hot glue to secure  the piece whilst the PVA dries. 

That's all I hope my guide to the sticky stuff has helped get you unstuck! Thank you for reading. 

Read Some More!
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The Combat Workshop
Fill 'n Sand
The Garage Gamer
Yet Another Plastic Modeller
Miniature and Model Painting

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Solo rules for Skank - Warlords of the Wastelands 2085

I have written a few versions of my Solo play rules tailored for various rulesets. 

Here is another for one of my favourite rulesets Today it is the turn of Skank - Warlords of the Wasteland 2085 which is a free ruleset that can be found here.

For anyone who plays Skank ... enjoy! If anyone is interested in a PDF of these rules they can be found here.  

Wastelands 3 Solo Rules

I have written a few versions of my Solo play rules tailored for various rulesets. Today it is the turn of Wastelands 3 - Meltdown which is a free ruleset that can be found here.

For anyone who plays Wastelands 3... enjoy! If anyone is interested in a PDF of these rules here.  

Wasteland Wondering number...erm...whatever

Welcome once again to this week's Wasteland Wondering. It has been a fun week personally. I found a few interesting bits, came up with some ideas and got some figures painted... well nearly painted. 

During a quiet spell in work waiting for equipment to work I came up with the concept of a Campaign for a SOS Bunker (for those unfamiliar with Mattblackgod's world as SOS Bunker was packed with everything to recover an area after an apocalyptic event). Firstly it was the bunker hunters only but then such supplies and facilities would be interested. This drifted into all my communities. By the time I had finished I had over 50 gangs and armies to use! The idea twisted a little into a fight for the legendary tomb of the Matt Black God or possibly his banner. 

To play a league I would have needed to play 5 games a day for a year. The other way would be to play 5 grand slam games with 10 factions per game and  whittle it down that way. It would be total chaos. For now this will be a pipe dream. But it did give me some great terrain ideas. I am tempted to post a gang here every week. It would take a year and many of them where made before I started this blog. 


So on to the WIP minis.....

So this is this weeks WIPs...

My good Lady has been tasked with choosing a team color for her Dreadball team. She cant decide so I painted up some testers.

Hopefully we will have a winner soon. I made a start on the Dreadball Orx figures. 

These areonly paint scheme testers. I like the colors. They need highlighting, washes and detailing.

I have nearly finished this guy...

Meanwhile in Poundstretcher I found a cheap P51 Mustang clip together kit for £2.99. I had to pick it up. It isn't very good. Its only a close approximation to a P51. However I think it will make great terrain. I don't have many air wrecks in my wastelands. 

   

The New Warlord....

Regular visitors to this blog will remember me asking for opinions on a choice for a Post Apocalyptic Warlord in this post

Looking at the picture I prefer No2 as the Warlord. I think a grizzled veteran would be more likely to lead a warband rather than a huge brute. 

Firstly let me say Thank you to everyone who voted & placed their opinions. Counting up the votes cast here and over on the Post Apocalyptic Wargames Forum...here are the results. Toady - a Oil Drum roll please!! 

Number 1: Seven Votes
Number 2: Five Votes 
Number 3: Two Votes

So here he is....your NEW Warlord....

So I plan to add crude tattoos and a big shooter. While he is well equipped for close combat you need to bring more than a huge chopper to a gun fight!!  

Spruecutters #25 Time Managment

Welcome back to my humble blog. This weeks Sprue Cuttters Union question is: 

When do you find the time to model?

Like most of us out there I do not do this hobby full time. I wish I could. It is a hobby and I do it because I enjoy it. Like most of us I have similar time pressures such as work, commuting, family life,chores etc etc. Even though we are unfortunate enough not to have children we do have four cats which despite reputation like to pester me for constant attention. 

Now as there is only the two of us, not including the cats of course, I like to spend as much time as possible with my lady who is my best friend. When I first got into the hobby the time spent locked away did cause some problems. So I came up with a happy compromise - I got a folding TV table. I use this to paint and build as I need while watching TV with my Wife. This way I can spend time with the most important person in my life and enjoy my hobby. Its a win win. 

From time to time I need to do something messy or that smells. So I just grab a bit of time while my good Lady is at work or out & about. 

Actual games get played as and when. Usually weekends or when I am off work. To be honest I wish I had more time to play some games. Maybe one day. 

Like this blog post? Why not see what the other Union members say about this subject? 

The Combat WorkShop
Fill 'n Sand
Miniature and Model Painting
Doogs' Models
Greg's Models
Yet Another Plastic Modeller


How to Join...
Want to join the Sprue Cutters Union? Its simple. If you model and have a blog that is all you need to start. Just write a post in response to the weekly topic, copy the link in the comments section for that week's assignment and you're in! Check out more detail about joining the Sprue Cutters Union.

Wasteland Wandering - More minis for the grinder

I have been busy getting some minis prepped ready for paint. You may have noticed the Dreadball figures in my previous Blog Post. There is more...

Back before Christmas I started work on Dr Steel's Steam Driven Combat Suit. It is now in undercoated along with a random Wastelander from the NY3K range supplied by East Riding Miniatures.

Dr Steel is to be an objective in a game. A kind of rescue the Mad Doc game.

Another thing I am working on is the army for Great Lakes. These are GW 40K Tallarn figures. I am tempted to write up some fluff to make them a Tribal group absorbed by Great Lakes who have been fashioned into a Military Unit.

All the eagles & skulls have been shaven off. That was no easy task and its a miracle that I still have all my fingers. Some Green Stuff paint was used to fill gaps and hide any rough spots. I don't care too much as these are intended to be a Post Apoc force. Rough & Ready is better.

I got these figures on Evilbay a few years ago. The problem is there was a couple of bits missing for the heavy weapon.

I used a pair of Ork drivers legs and pair of wheels from a 1/72 truck kit I had laying about. Yippeee Autocannon!!

Then there the Squad Leader with the Plasma pistol. I have never liked the look of 40K Plasma weapons. It had to go.

A resin pistol from Anvil Castings fixed him up.

Then there was the Melta Guns. They look okay but again I am not a fan of them in my games. Actually thinking about it they would probably make better looking Plasma weapons than the usual 40K offerings. As these a Post Apoc I wanted Squad level support weapons. With a little carving I came up with these....

They have a kind of Lewis Gun feel. The Magazine on top is made from some 1/35 land mines from a German WW2 accessories kit.

I like them anyway. Next up for this force - the undercoating.

Dreadball Figures pt1

One of the many hobby related items I got from Santa Claus was the Dreadball game. After the holiday it has taken me a little while to get going again. 

Most of the Dreadball figures are multipart. After reading comments in various places on the web about how fiddely they are to assemble and clean up I was a little apprehensive. However I found that they where no more difficult to assemble than other manufacturers figures. The same goes for the clean up too. I guess the review I read may have been from other company fanboys who are a little biased. 

So the figures are assembled and in primer. My tortured brain is still thinking up some color schemes (and names) for the two teams. 

First up the Ref & Balls - no not her Balls!! 

Next the Corporation Team: 

Finally the Orx/Marauder team:

The Marauder team will be getting my Trogz Human skin tones. Although Dreadball is played throughout the Galaxy I am inserting into my Utopia City setting (my version of Mega City One) on Mattblackgod's world. 

Hopefully I will have them painted soon. 

Spruecutters Union #24: Pet Peeves.

Welcome back to my meandering blog. This week's Sprue Cutters Union topic is Pet Peeves. The question is: 

What is it about other modellers do that gets under your skin? 

Before I start this is just about what annoys me. It is not intended to start a flame war and I do not intend to offend anyone reading this blog. This is just my opinion of how I see the world. 

As a Wargamer I find that I have a foot in each camp. One as a Wargamer, the other in the model makers camp. To me it is a way to be more interactive with the models I create. This blog post is written from the the prospective of the Wargamer. 

There are many things that have annoyed me over the years. Another Sprue Cutter, The Eternal Wargamer (Go Frank!) has hit most of these in his Pet Peeves post. So I will hit another one of mine. 

In this post will be looking at the inability of certain Wargamers to expand their horizons. 

When I returned to the hobby I found that it had changed. In 10 years GW had rolled 40K from 1st ed rules (Rogue Trader) to 3rd ed (soon to be 4th ed). Many of the figures had gone. The 40K Squat race had been removed, which was a shame as I wanted to build that army next. The game and even background had changed in feel. Imagination had been removed and many money spinners put in place. My other old favourite GW title Dark Future was also gone. 

This forced me to explore further afield. The internet was (& still is) filled with wonderful figure making companies. Some make their own rules too. Many of these rulesets do not require a specific miniature line. Quite a few of them are available freely.

I championed two games back then. Combat Zone by EM4 and now sadly lost to the mists of time - Babylon's Burning. CZ is a near future game and Babylon's Burning was a modern Post Apocalyptic game. Both games had figures to use but didn't limit the game lines you could use. My old 40K RT figures saw some action. 

Later I found a great free online ruleset called Skank that was written to allow any miniatures to be used. I even played Orks Vs Space Marines with these rules. Some of the Grognards out there may even remember the campaign I ran with 40K Space Orks arrived in the Modern World, which I used these rules for. To be honest I have had a lot of fun playing all three of these rulesets.

I tried a couple of times to get folks interested in playing Combat Zone in the local clubs. But 40K & Battletech seemed to be the only interest. In fact if it didn't have all the spit and polish of a massive marketing campaign there was little interest. 

A friend of mine has been to a couple of shows recently helping Miniature Mojo promote their Scavenge Skirmish Survive game. In a recent conversation he revealed that despite the beautifully painted miniatures and amazing table people walked away because the rule book was not shiny (its a free online ruleset) and Mojo isn't a big company. Okay, I do understand that Frozen Post Apocalyptic may not be to everyone's taste but these people took an interest in SSS until they realised that this is not by a Corporate owned firm. 

He also revealed to me that even folks playing Historical games seemed to stick to the game manufactures figures. I can understand with Sci Fi and some fantasy games you may have trouble stat lining a figure but with WW2? A German figure with a MP40 is still a German with a MP40 regardless of the manufacturer. 

While I can understand folks wanting to support the company making their favourite games & figures but many of these companies are large and will survive unless they do something really stupid (recent GW events spring to mind). There are a whole ton of figure manufacturers that can be used in your games - even unofficially. 

Companies such a Ral Partha Europe, Heresy Miniatures, Hasslefree, EM4, East Riding Miniatures, LAM, Artisan, Prince August , Ground Zero Games, Ramshackle Games and Copplestone make wonderful figures which can be used for various games (there are many many more companies but I won't list them here). Often they are cheaper and better quality than the figures produced by the big companies, who in my opinion treat the customers with contempt. Remember the only thing that says you can't use other figures in your games is the company making them. This not only limits what you can do as a Wargamer but it also limits our imaginations to the backgrounds that these games and figures are set in. Its ironic that the same imagination used to create these worlds are being limited by the fat cats looking to make money from it. It also leads to the snooty look down their noses attitude of some gamers because what the figure you field isn't "in accordance to the rules" which some fat cat sat in a office some place told them that was the "law". Wake up son, this is a GAME not building a nuclear reactor which could kill thousands if you mess it up. 

Back in the day Babylon's Burning producers Hetzerdog went under because they couldn't muscle in on the big companies action. They couldn't get people interested, despite my best efforts to promote the game. A great figure line is now gone forever. The people who ran the company lost all that they had put into it. All that time, effort and money. 

So that's it. My pet peeve is Wargamers who follow the big games companies blindly. Who refuse to explore new ideas and possibilities. Who will not try other figures or games other than the "chosen" games. If we all use unofficial armies in our games sooner or later we will force the big companies to take note (I have often fancied fielding a Copplestone/EM-4 Sci Fi Troopers army or a force of Ramshackle's Iron Warriors troopers in a 40K game). 

By supporting smaller games and manufactures you are helping smaller companies survive by helping keep our hobby diverse but allowing us all more freedom, which in my opinion can only lead to more fun. Go on give it a whirl. Try some new stuff. Don't let the man tell you what you can and can't do with your figures and armies. They are yours. You bought, assembled and painted them. The only people who can lose out are the fat cat Bankers and the Corporate kiss ass brigade who's only aim is to get even richer on your gaming buck and regard you as cattle. In my opinion the less of them in our world the better. 

Read what the other Sprue Cutters say!

The Eternal Wargamer
Yet Another Plastic Modeller 
Miniature & Model Painting
Motorsport Modeller


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