Into the Undercity....Terrain

Deep under the streets and the foundations of the mega blocks of Utopia City lies an unseen world. A world as brutal as the wastelands beyond the mega city walls. A world of perpetual darkness. Lets creep through the cracks and explore a world of darkness, hazards, mutants, cutthroats and monsters.....

Down in the depths there is many strange things. Old hab domes, city streets and forgotten machines. You know...um....thingies?! 

This thingy is made from an old pringles tube and a load of old junk from other projects. The pringles tube got hacked to bits to give a crazy angle. Tape and paper hold it together. 

This terrain is intended to be used as a dice tower. I always wanted to make one. In true post apoc style I made it from junk I had laying about. 

The tower in action. 

Surprisingly there are many outcasts from Utopia living in the darkness of the Undercity. They form communities and gangs. There are many townships and trading posts. 

Some like the trading post below are made from parts of the grounded star ships which originally founded mattblackgod's world. 

This is the water trader. Water....everyone needs it, right? 

There is also a weapon and ammo trader on this block. 

This is a Mantic Deadzone terrain set which I painted to look like lots of salvaged panels. The water tank is an old coffee can and the pipes are drinking straws. 

The Mantic sets are easy to use but sometimes the connectors need a bit of brute force to clip them together.I have also had a plastic connector snap on me. Maybe I am too ham fisted?! I glued my sets together as I intend these pieces to be permanent. I only used superglue just in case. There is still some parts left so expect some more of these in the future. 

The great thing about the Undercity project is that this terrain can also be happily used in the wastelands. There is also a place on mattblackgod's world where a starship fleeing (the Typhon) the orbital bombardment crashed back to the surface. This makes up an area known as the Skrap Lands. Lots of the buildings and defenses in these wastelands are made from starship parts. 

Thanks for looking. 

15mm goodies....

Welcome back to my hobby blog. Once again life has had me plate spinning. As a result I have not gotten as much hobby stuff done as I would have liked or found the time to record the bits I have got done here. 

One thing I have been plodding along with is some odd and ends for my 15mm science fiction stuff. I like working on the 15s I seem to rattle through my work. 

I was at a loose end and felt creative so I decided up knock up a couple of liquid storage towers out of junk laying about. One is for Water and the other for Fuel. 

These were quite easy to construct. The tank part are old bottle tops super glued together. The blue one has four bottle tops. The stands are those plastic things you get in take away pizza boxes which are supposed to stop the pizza sticking to the box lid. The pipes are drinking straws and there is some plastic card on the bases. 

Another addition is a Mad Max style wasteland cruiser. This was made in anticipation of the vehicular madness that would make a vehicle loon like myself drool (my dream job would be to build these movie vehicles). 

The car was a 1-100 scale car which you can bags of off evilbay. I chopped it up and added a mesh window. A mounted machine gun by Brigade gives the rig some fire power. The wheels are resin items by Zinge. I suspect they are supposed to be for 28mm equipment. But the work a treat as sand wheels in 15mm. 

This car will see action serving what ever group needs a escort or fast scout.

Every Freetrader needs something to run supplies and crew around. There are plenty of older designs laying about on frontier planets which can be taken and repaired.  

This is a Matchbox truck which had a quick repaint. 

The Mads tribals have gotten a support vehicle which I will use as a command option for them in Gruntz. 

This started life a 1/76 Puma Tank destroyer. I lost the gun added a roof and machine gun from Brigade. Some odds and ends from the bitz box where added to finish. 

The 24th Browncoats have another recon vehicle for their force. 

The 24th already have one of these so it seemed a good idea to give them a upgunned version. This is a Matchbox Safari landrover with mesh added and cloth doors made from putty. A autocannon from brigade was added for a bit of firepower. 

The forces of the Cyberdan got another Mech. 

I am not sure what this mini is. But it makes a great robot. 

The forces of the New Terra Alliance needed a command option so I built this walker. 

Twin autocannons and a multi barreled heavy machine gun should cause the enemy some problems. 

The legs are off a Combat Zone Robot, body some sort of GW 40K Tau combat suit. Beads make up the weapon gimbals. The weapons are off the Tau suit and donor plastic robot. Beads and other bits add small details. 

That's all for now. Thanks for looking. 

Undercity Terrain WIP

On mattblackgod's world lies Utopia City which survived the Apocalypse.  Think 2000AD's Mega City One. Like MC1 Utopia has a massive under city beneath the foundations, sewers and service tunnels. GW's Necromunda's under hive is also a massive inspiration.

First up I thought I would make a dice tower for the under city/under hive.

Constructed from a pringles tube, scrap bits of foam board, plastic card and cork tile.

Top side of the dice tower.

This is the first of many towers (I have been stashing pringles tubes for some time). I see these  towers as massive columns holding the top of the caverns.

Made from a cork pan tile, a pringles tube, lollypop sticks and scraps of card/mesh from another project. 

The ladder is bits of matchsticks and coffee stirrers.

There is also a trader post. Radiation Bob's Trading post.

The base is a cork pan tile (home bargains), the body is a nuka Xmas pudding tub, bits of cork and other junk for the walls an barricades. Press mold made barrels and crates. The pipes are straws.

That's all for now....There is some small details to add and then it's paint time. 

Thanks for looking.

Wasteland Wondering

Hello and welcome back to another wasteland wondering. I have to apologise to my followers. This blog hasn't been getting the love it deserves from me as life has been... um.. interesting.

In the last month I have gotten a new (old) car,

 we had a couple weeks of sunshine (which doesn't happen very often around these parts) which lead to a few road trips in the PT. It is a curiously addictive car. Although I have toyed with spraying it matt black.

 I found the motorbikes that I have been hoping to restore are largely beyond hope which lead to bike and bike part hunting. Selling my old car was painful. I was asking a decent price and it was amazing just how many people wanted it for less than the scrap value. My lady and I had a virus for a couple of weeks and work got insanely busy. While all this has been going on  I have been avoiding anything to do with the new Mad Max movie (and anything to to with the forthcoming elections) whilst counting down the days until I can see the movie. The worst thing that has happened this month was my oldest cat passed on at the ripe old age of 18. Which has left my remaining two cats a bit clingy attentive.

All this in turn has had me jumping around between hobby projects and ideas like a jumping bean. I have been working on a river project (which has stalled), started a few vehicles as command units for my Gruntz forces (which has stalled), started some 15mm water towers (which has also stalled, spotting a theme yet?) and I my skittish mind has just started a 28mm undercity/under hive project. I hope to get some WIP blog posts soon. Or if I get my finger out or focus for more than a few minutes finish some actual finished models.

I have been reading the Hammers Slammers novels. I am part way through the second volume. They are great inspiration for anyone into SF Wargaming. There is plenty of scenario ideas from small skirmish up to companies slugging it out. It is easy to see how the novels inspired the Wargame.

I got a box of assorted figures as a gift from a friend (thanks Tinker). There is a gang of Gorkamorka Diggas. I am thinking of using them as neighbours to Greasy Poon. Tinker also included some 2000 AD Judges and a Hammerstein ABC warrior figure. I really look forward to getting those painted up. Thank you Tinker.

In the dark depths of mini pile there is some Necromunda Rat skins and Scavvys. The plan is to use them as under city gangs for Utopia City.

That is all for now. Hopefully there will be more blog posts soon, whilst I try to dodge Mad Max trailers. 

15mm Hammers Slammers Infantry

My Wild Galaxy setting is a mix of what I like. So far it is a heady mix of ideas and inspiration from lots of sources. Recently I have discovered the Hammers Slammers Novels by David Drake (not to mention the miniatures and games). The idea of Mercenary Companies working for who ever appeals to me as much as a galaxy filled with many nations does. It makes sense for us gamers to have a few armies of Mercs rather than the thousands of forces needed for a human (and Alien) filled galaxy. 

I have always like the Slammers Blower Tanks and Combat Cars. Which is why I am working on some. They will be in my Wild Galaxy setting doing what they do in the David Drake setting. Fighting on a contract.  Rather than work in my usual way, reinvent the force and use different colors I have decided to stick with the Hammers force colors. 

The Slammers are not all tanks. They have infantry too. 

This force has been assembled for the Gruntz Rules with 6 man squads rather than the Slammer's 4 man Squads. 

Platoon Commander

Medic

First Squad

Second Squad

Third Squad

Fourth Squad

The Slammers are GZG figures. Next up for this force - Blower tanks, combat cars and jeeps. 

Planet Wolfden - Skrappers reinforcements.

After my recent Gruntz game I dug  through some piles of figures donated to me and discovered more of the 15mm.co.uk Post Apoc Warriors. All they needed was a dry brush, some detail and a wash. As I was working on these figures I grabbed the rest of the force and rejigged it to make a Gruntz force. 

The whole Skappers army (to date).

The Skrappers live in the hulk of a derelict starship on Planet Wolfden. 

The Boss - denoted by pink hair and stripes on his shoulder pads. 

The Enforcers - the Boss' henchmen. The Enforcers have black stripes on their armor. Squad leader has additional yellow stripes. The boss and henchmen live in the Starship's command center, galley and crew quarters. 

The Red Mob live in the Engineering areas of the derelict starship. Due to the dark labyrinths of the engineering decks the Red Mob are great at close combat and ambushes. Their armor is marked with red stripes and they have a red patch on their arms. As with other gangs yellow stripes pick out the gangleader. They take their name and colors from the Engineering Decks which are coded Red. 

The Blue Mob live in the Cargo Hold areas of the derelict starship. Due to the open spaces of the holds the Blue Mob are better with ranged weapons. Their armor is marked with blue stripes and they have a blue patch on their arms. As with other Skrapper gangs yellow stripes pick out the leader. They take their name and colors from the Cargo Decks/Holds which are coded Blue.

Whilst the gangs are part of the same gang there is often friction between them and full on warfare often erupts on the derelict.  

The Skrappers can also be used for 15mm Post Apoc if I ever get to play it. They will also be handy for 15mm gangs of Fletcher's Cove. 

15mm Critters

I have planned for a while to start a 15mm beasty list of the critters found in my Wild Galaxy setting inspired by the lists of critters in my old 40K Rogue Trader rule book. 

First up.... The Furbear. 

The Furbear was first discovered in the forests of Mc Nulty III. It is a large six legged bear which appears docile, a bit goofy looking and somewhat cuddly. Many of these bears where soon traded across Human Space bringing in much needed revenue to the world. 

The Furbear has a long lifespan and after many years problems began. The beasts are only docile in their prepubescent stage. Once reaching adulthood the Furbears became aggressive usually attacking their owners/keepers. 

There was culls on many worlds but many Furbears have escaped into the wilds and are a danger to remote colonies on many worlds. 

The Furbear is a Furback from 15mm.co.uk Laserburn line. 

New 15mm additions.

A few new bits and bobs have been added to the 15mm terrain and vehicle collection. 

The colonist crawler. 

Many colonies utilize small all terrain vehicles for transporting personnel and equipment. They are often small cramped vehicles. Size is important for transport in a drop ship or shuttle. 

The crawler started life as a micro machines hummer toy. I added some wheels from a cheap hotwheels style buggy. 

Cargo Pods.

Every colony base needs regular supply. A variety of cargo stores are employed from wooded crates to reinforced thermo plastics like the ones below. 

The pods are made by Brigade Games and will serve as objectives. I have tried to paint them in various ways. Blue for general cargo, White for medical supplies and Green for ammo. I like painting these and I may have to get some more in the future. 

Colony Small Hab Building. 

This building started life as a coffee jar lid. Some resin doors, windows and vents from Antenociti's workshop where added. Textured paint was applied. Some graffiti was then added. 

Gangs of Greasy Poon - Parp & Company.

Welcome back to my blog. I have to apologise as I have been neglecting these pages as real life has been getting in the way.   As usual it has been a roller coaster. Hobby time has also been limited but I have managed to grab a little time here and there. So now it's time for a catch up. Expect a bit of a blog post bombardment over the next day or so. 

First up...let us return to the township of Greasy Poon on the cursed world known as Mattblackgod's world.....

Introducing Parp. 

Parp is a odd character who prefers to live beyond the safety of Greasy Poon's barricades. He lives in a valley not far away and lives on a strict vegetarian diet of food he mostly grows himself. Parp got his name from the unpleasant bodily emissions he tends to emit. This usually leads to everyone standing upwind of him. Parp is last to be picked for stealthy missions as they last thing anyone needs   is a loud trumpet noise as they sneak around a rad ghoul infested metro station. 

Parp has his uses to the folks of Greasy Poon. He is a good medic and can even fix machines. Another reason he is popular is he brews excellent fungus beer. Parp also makes a wicked rad chilli beer. However folks around Greasy Poon know to avoid his Rad Chilli Sauce as it has been known to melt metal and from time to time explode. 

Parp is a Larken Figure from Ramshackle Games' Nuclear Renaissance line. 

Introducing Chow Mien and Kung Po. 

Chow Mein (on the left) came to Greasy Poon from a vault. He claims he has seen much of the wastelands although many suspect that he tells tall stories for a drink. 

Kung Po wanders around unarmed which may lead the fool hardy into thinking that he is a easy target. What they don't know is Kung Po is a unarmed combat expert. He is a walking lethal weapon. Kung Po often mediates and chants mantras which to many sounds like the mumblings of a very angry man. Although the other denizens of Greasy Poon are not sure they do suspect that "kick him in the head" is not a ancient sacred mantra. 

Chow Mein and Kung Po are Matt Hazard and Rage figures from Ramshackle Games' Nuclear Renaissance line.