Hotel Paradiso

Hello and welcome back to my blog. In his post I am looking at another model to receive a refresh. 

Welcome to the Hotel Paradiso - we hope you will never leave. 

Hotel Paradiso is a older model in my collection, in fact it was the first ruin I ever built. This piece was built before this blog and even the founding of the Post Apocalyptic Wargames forum. I was playing a lot of Babylon’s Burning and Combat Zone at the time. I guess it must have been around 2004-2005.

It is a pretty large piece. The name was inspired by the Bottom TV series spin off film “Guest House Paradiso” with the late Rick Mayall and Adrian Edmundson. Although I suppose I could have called named it Faulty Towers.  The model is built from some white polystyrene packing sheet (liberated from a skip at work), foam board and plaster the hotel looked like this when finished. 

I am sure you agree ok for the tabletop but not exactly realistic looking. In recent years my tastes have drifted towards the older overgrown ruins. I have taken inspiration from pictures of Pripyat near Chernobyl, the Across the Dead Earth game boards and the Horizon Zero Dawn Computer game. Curtis from Ramshackle Games’ models have also inspired me.

So after a heavy light grey dry brush and a white dry brush I had a more concrete looking ruin. The old plastic drinking straws that make up old pipes in the rubble where reinforced by putting rolled up tin foil into them with a spot of hot glue. A sign was made up from a old gift card and laser cut MDF letters. 

After this lots of brown and green washes where added along with some old GW plastic skeletons. The rusty metal bits where painted and the sign letters got a coat of burnished gold to make them stand out. Classy joint this you know. 

Green flock was added but proved to be a shade or seven too bright. More dark brown washes toned it down and some green dry brushing in various shades made it look more realistic. 

Then the fun of adding plant rubber moss/matting, various plants, grass and flowers followed. I used it to hide the joints in the polystyrene walls. 

I am pleased with the how the model turned out. It feels good to give this old model a new lease of life.

Thanks for looking and stay safe out there.

Hacking Rhinos to bits.....vehicle WIP

Hello and welcome back. 

I have been staring at this old 40k Rhino I got as a eBay special. It was a badly painted chaos one and after a bit of work (and some Ork and Ramshackle parts) it became a armoured ride for various factions over the years. After my experiences of Helsreach at BYOL 2018 decided to turn it into a cargo transport.

 

I split the sides apart and slowly unpicked the side doors. The inner doors where cut (hacked) out. The back of the top portion of the hull was cut out. Then the rear door was fixed in place with struts under it to keep it in place.

I just got to paint it now. Filling some of the holes may be an idea too.

Speaking of eBay specials I picked up these four for a massive £25. 

A bit of Oldhammer goodness there. The old MK1 Rhinos have a soft spot with me. These need a little repair work. Hull bottom panels/hatches are missing as the builder was trying to spread his parts around. I am thinking of kit bashing a couple into a stretch rhino. That may need a custom hull if I can’t join two hulls together.

Thanks for looking. Take care out there.

More folks of Mattblackgod’s world

Welcome back, long time no post. 

Apologies for the radio silence, life has been busy with real life stuff. I have been working on a mixture of figures and a couple of reworks. 

So into the figures....

Out in the wastelands there is a old military bunker. This is the home to the faction “the Guardians”. They collect old technology especially weapons to keep it safe and stop its misuse. One of their aims is to protect and relearn the secrets of the past. The other is to educate and help people survive. The Guardians end game is to one day rebuild the world whilst avoiding the mistakes of the past. Unfortunately their operations can cause friction with other factions in the wastelands.

This is Captain Sheila D’Eath. As a ranking officer in the Guardians she is allowed to wear Power Armour.

I cannot remember the figure or line this is from. She has been reworked to look like the armour has come from several sources.

Introducing Imperator Anita Bath of the New Sodom City defence force. She can often be seen leading NSC operations out in the wastelands. Her other job is to act as Immortan Trump’s bodyguard. She is glad of her power armour as Immortan Trump can be a bit handy.

This figure is a rework as she was a officer in the Red Lance force before I retired them. It is a OOP metal Viridian. 

Kapo Burns is a mutant hench man of Blubba Max of the Trashford gang. 

This figure is Cuss Weerds of the Warlord 2000AD Strontium Dogs line. His hand and gun had snapped off so I grafted a gun hand on I found in the depths of the bits box.

Coming back to Rubbleborg....

Introducing Raging Annie. Annie has serious anger issues and as a outlet she has been directed to join the Rubbleborg Milita by Mayor Bustard. It is either that or have Annie shooting the town up every ten minutes.

The figure is Raging Annie by Bad Squido Games and was a fun figure to paint.

Finally for this lot....

Introducing Clink. Clink is the Rubbleborg jailer and is fond of hooch. He likes roughing up prisoners which sometimes backfires weeks later when he runs into an abused miscreant when drunk in a Rubbleborg sleezy dive. 

Clink is part of the Minimus Squat Crew by Ramshackle Games.

The totals so far:

Figures painted:11

Figures reworked:2

Terrain finished: 1

Terrain reworked: 0

Vehicles finished: 1

The totals for this far into year are a lot lower than I hoped. But then that is life.

Thanks for looking and stay safe out there.

This and that.

Hello and welcome back to my blog. 

Real life has been keeping me busy but I am slowly cranking the handle. There is a old ruin model I am still reworking. 

A couple of years ago I had a converted 28mm Warlord ww2 British Tommy but he was missing a gas mask. So I sculpted one.

Ever since I picked up 40K RT back in the mists of time I wanted a Ambull miniature but  being a spotty teenager I never had the cash. So the new Ambull kit landed and as it is far cheaper than what the old metal Ambulls fetch I decided to treat myself.  The kit is easy to assemble. 

 

It’s behind you! 

I am looking forward to getting the paint on this critter, as soon as I decide what colours to paint it. Inspiration from natural history isn’t helping my decision.

Meanwhile I have also been busy digging through the mini collection to get some gangs ready to get on the tabletop. 

This lot are some of my old Stalkers. I took lots of inspiration from the Stalker computer games. All of them are converted in some way. 

This is Meatheads’ Crew, a bunch of Stalkers operating out of Rubbleborg. They go on salvaging runs into the Oncewhere city ruins. I will do a full crew run down once I have got the character fluff written. 

That’s all for now, thank you for looking.

Stay safe out there.

Ruston’s crew and more

Hello and welcome back to my blog Wanderer.

Time for some figure updates.

Introducing Stitch.

Stitch is the medic for the Warriors gang from the township of Piean. The figure is a old GW Necromunda Orlock, which is in keeping with the theme of the gang. Stitch has had a gas mask container added as a medical pack. 

Moving West from Piean. 10 miles North West across the sands from Rubbleborg lies a strange tower. They say it was once standing in the sea. That has to be a lie, how did the old ones build it under the sea? Not only that but the sea is miles and miles beyond the tower. 

Mayor Bustard knows what the tower is or was. It was some sort of natural gas platform. So he convinced a team to go out and try to get the platform operational again. It would be good source of energy for Rubbleborg. 

Ruston and his crew have shipped out and are sorting the platform out. 

The figures are Dwarves by Ramshackle Games. 

Ruston is the crew’s leader. Not much is known about this strange exo armoured Warrior, except he has a short temper and is a great engineer. The figure is a Dwarf Techno Jarl by Ramshackle Games.

Mech Turnkey is the crew’s mech and fix it man. The lone survivor from when his settlement was massacred by raiders he wandered alone and eventually joined the crew. The figure is from Minimus Squat and his crew by Ramshackle Games. 

Wreckersen is the team’s muscle. If there is something that needs killing Wreckersen is the Dwarf to do it. The figure is from Minimus Squat and his crew by Ramshackle Games. 

Trader Rod Mc Feets is one of Rubbleborg’s many traders. You have to be careful as he will rip you off. The figure is from Minimus Squat by Ramshackle Games. 

The 2019 hobby totals so far: 

Figures painted: 8

Terrain finished: 1

Terrain reworked: 0

Vehicles finished: 1

Running slow on the painting front thanks to my furry friends. There is more Rubbleborg and Trashford figures to come.

Thanks for reading, take care out there.

Wasteland Wondering

Hello and welcome back to my blog. 

So what’s happening wasteland dudes? 

Hobby time has been limited for me over the last few weeks, I have a handful of Ramshackle figures to show you when I get my act together and get the pictures sorted.

My time recently has been eaten by prolonged commutes due to wintery road conditions. The extra time on the roads has left me too tired to pick up the brushes. Then there my cat Dixie who seems to wake up every time I pick up a brush and comes to “help”. This usually leads to my abandoning painting. 

I have gotten some reading in. The Forager by Peter R Stone is a PA novel set in Australia and has a good mix of action, tension and ideas for the table. One of the many issues some of us have with our PA settings is how to introduce a foreign faction. The author manages to work around this by having a Japanese fishing fleet unable to return home after the nukes, setting up a settlement in Australia. It is an idea I will keep in mind for future setting fluff.

Recently I have discovered Metro 2034 and 2035 novels are on kindle and translated into English so they are now on the reading list. I am a huge fan of Metro 2033 so I hope they will inspire my madness.

I have been working on some background ideas which I hope to add to Mattblackgod’s world. One is a way to allow the high tech Brittannian’s more wasteland contact and to stir up tensions with the factions around Rubbleborg and beyond. I am still working on the fluff but it will also allow for salvage runs into a Metro 2033 like ruined mega city which is filled with mutated beasts and other terrors. 

The issue with the High tech city is they have firepower and equipment which leaves the local area somewhat unbalanced. Thankfully the Brittannian numbers are limited. But to mix stuff up I am working up a Brotherhood of Steel like faction who will have the kit to go head to head with the high tech dystopians. 

I have painted figures in my collection to cover most of these changes so hopefully that will keep the paint queue from getting too clogged up. I want to add more beasts to the collection especially like those found in the Metro 2033 novel and games. Giant slugs, amoebas and bio mass like things. Plus what ever catches my eye in the figure ranges across the world. 

Painting wise I am still working on Rubbleborg, Trashford and bounty hunter additions - when the cat allows. Plus work has started on reworking the first ruin that I ever built - hotel Paradiso. The white dry brushes are on and next up will be the washes. I will be going for that ageing ruin look. 

Hopefully there will be pictures soon.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading and take care 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.

Trashford reinforcements

Hello and Welcome Back to my blog,

The first figures of the year have been finished. Some additions to the Trashford gang. These guys are back up for Blubba who runs Trashford. 

The Trashford guys bearing the fancy energy weapons Blubba found inside a bunker in the Blasted Ruins. The gang and residents of Trashford are largely mutated. The remains of the Blasted Ruins where Trashford is located was the centre of the Mutant Uprisings 50 years ago. It is unusual for people in the area not to have mutations or half lives. 

Skull’s appearance is often used by Blubba to intimidate Norms (non mutants). 

Brute is the Gang’s muscle, he is also a hothead and most likely to charge off into a fight before Blubba has had a chance to assess the situation.

Lo down is a foul mouthed trouble maker who loves to pick fights with anyone taller than him, which is everyone.

All these figures are from the Warlord 2000AD Strontium Dogs line. There are more figures planned for the Trashford gang. Stay tuned. 

Thanks for looking and stay safe out there.

Amera Double Blast Craters

Hello and welcome back Wasteland Wanderer.

Back before Christmas I won a Amera blast crater in a competition ran by Amera Plastic Mouldings. I finally got them finished.

Z256 Double Blast Craters. 

These where super quick to paint up and I enjoyed working on them. 

I have a few pieces by Amera and think that their models are super value. Go check them out.

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

Happy New Year 2019

Happy New Year!!! 

2019 is upon us like a lumbering Deathclaws or an out of control War Rig.

So what do I have planned hobby wise for this year? 

Firstly I plan on trying to do a little hobbying ever day however small. I hope to keep a record of it and hopefully keep you updated. This also includes reading rule books, writing rules, map creation as well as the usual hobby stuff.  The hard thing is finding time to update the blog. 

The gangs of Rubbleborg will be expanded. New characters, gangs and possibly figures reassigned from older gangs. Brittianna will get some additional troops who are mostly oldhammer era 40K Imperial Guard. This matches their infantry look already as I am using old IG for the various companies. The Warriors gang will be getting some medics mostly old Necromunda Orlocks. The Fatal Floozies proved to be wanting at Helsreach due to no heavy weapon support. So a heavy weapons lass will be recruited to their ranks. 

In addition to this I have the 2000AD Strontium Dogs figures by Warlord games to finish. They will mix up the Bounty Hunters and Blasted Ruins folk. I also have a Dungeron by Ramshackle games to paint. They are seriously huge critters. I suspect my wastelanders will need some artillery to take that beast out. 

I need to get my 20mm stuff done too. I got a lot of nice 20mm post apoc bits last year not to mention the 50 Hotwheels cars my wife got me for my Birthday. As far as car mods go I think I won’t bother stripping the paint off Hotwheels cars any more. It takes too long. I will still be hacking the cars about though. It’s part of the fun.

The 28mm terrain refresh will continue too. Mainly dry brushes, washes, plants and more. I have one or two new terrain pieces planned and a few vehicle conversions too. 

2018 had too many kickstarters and fantastic figure releases, far too many to support. I am afraid I have to knuckle down and get stuff painted before adding any more to my piles. That said I also need to thin down the piles of painted and unpainted toys. Hopefully I may have some stuff up for sale later this year.

The Radlands rules will continue to be worked on and I hope to get them out for beta testing sometime this year. I may be asking for volunteers. 

Inspiration wise I hear that Days Gone, Rage 2, Metro Exodus and Wasteland 3 computer games will be hitting the shelves. So no doubt I may get some extra inspiration from them. 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a hobby filled new year. May 2019 be fruitful and prosperous for you all. I hope you have a safe and happy 2019. 

Take care out there and stay safe. Happy New Year.