Epic. Forgeworld Metalica 2.

 

Transport plans for my Epic Skitarii, the range of underground drills was alway one of my favourites, from the smallest - Termite, middle sized Mole and largest Hellbore (which looked like something out of Thunderbirds!)

More recently Forgeworld has released a Termite and Hellboreish with the Mechanicum Ordinatus Aktaeus 

The Termite or at least a proxy will be on my list for my 28mm Skitarii

The Ordinatus range from Forgeworld are all stunning pieces but more like expensive scenery on all but the largest of games I would imagine!

Spotting one of these I have put together an alternative Termite model

Cut in two, a fair job as they have a solid metal middle

35mm round bases and cork

Plasticard to represent the closed hatches.

I plan on getting some more and having some ramp down

Finished first set of Termites with Skitarii unit

Epic. Forgeworld Metalica 1

For my birthday I was lucky enough to receive a load of Vanguard Miniatures Cybershadows which make excellent epic Adeptus Mechanicus.

This has timed perfectly as I was listening to the audiobook for Imperator by Gav Thorpe.

An essential Adeptus Mechanicus featuring the Legio Metalica Imperator Titan Cassus Belli

Reading this has swung me over to switching my Titan Legio to Metalica which also gives me a nice scheme for my Skitarii support forces.

(I will also use this for my 40k Skitarii force as well.)

I have used Flames of War sized bases, I have seen these done with a couple of Epic forces and really like the look and extra space. The majority are on small bases with the Dunecrawlers on medium bases I have cut and squared off

At the back is a unit of Terminators ( Vanguard Novan Elites – Affray Heavy Armour) which I will be painting up in Ultramarine livery. I had done a test as Steel Confessors but will change so I can use them in 30K and 40K

Skitarii Vanguard and two Magos stands 

(Cybershadow Precursors and Master of Interactions) 

Skitarii Kataphorons

( Cybershadow Vanguard combat Drones)

Dunecrawlers. fully magnetised

(Cybershadow Skitter Tanks) 

in addition to this I have four Lucius Pattern Warhounds, one in Legio Atarus livery to paint/repaint and a Vanguard Cybershadow Leviathan as an alt Reaver

Vanguard Miniatures

Pulp 1

With my recent viewing being dominated by films from my Pulp style collection, Doc Savage, The Shadow, Indiana Jones, Sky Captain etc and my eye drawn back to Crooked Dice and 7TV I put together some props/ scatter terrain to use with a future project and could also be used with Rogue Trader and Doctor Who

3D Map of secret lair.

made from toy compass and water and island sculpted from filler.

Copper thing

Made from juice bottle lid, sprue and ping pong ball

Pylons

 Made from the inside of Loctite superglue

Blackboards

made from foamcard and coffee stirrers

Palettes and containers

Made from coffee stirrers and old circuit board capacitors

experimental parts

Made from cast off bits from Ramshackle Games 

Surviving the destruction of the Robot and their worldwide plans. Elements of the Scientific Reform Society retreat to a fallback base and plan their revenge

Little Doctor Who set up using the quarry terrain

First Terrain of 2021

 Feeling uninspired I have defaulted to terrain which always seems to recharge me.

With boards for Epic/40k and WW1 trench I felt a green woodland board was well overdue. This would replace the GW green sheet and work for my Relics, Warhammer Fantasy, Prehistoric and a host of others, as well as a base for the 4 Citadel Wood boxes I have had stored at the back of my room forever!!

As with previous boards I have used Foam mats for the base and first the first set focused on an open area and one feature tile, a pool.

first set with pool tile cut out and plasticard base

Base layer of Flexible filler + paint and soil

PVA gravel layer

paint and washes followed by stones painted.

flocking

Vallejo Still water with some Tamiya Black Green which will help it match up to the river sections

The first layer leaked out a bit so water level is a little low.

I have tried to keep the design scale free and low for storage.

I plan on adding some small long grass/reed sections I can place round the edge of the pool 

The next set will add some more open areas but also two hills and two quarry sections.

area cut out and the sides built up using more foam and bark 

sealed with Flexible filler and then layer of gravel and PVA added to add smaller texture

Stone and earth layers

Flocked tiles, will add some tufts once delivered!

Test setup with tree and other bark hills

i might look at adding a removable top layer to the quarry so I can use it as a large hill feature or cave/ burial mound.

Some shots using the Homo Erectus Tribe

Next on the plan is three more open tiles and then some coastal tiles.

My Idea for coastal/major river set is to cut three in half and slope them so they are the beaches/cliffs and lay some water painted sheet under them. It can be an end set up as the sea or between two set as a large river. This will enable me to have coastal/landing scenarios or even river boat conflicts or extended bridge etc.

Onward to 2021. Plots and Plans

 After finishing 2020 on the high of completing the Painting Challenge and being able to make progress on so many of my projects, the start of 2021 was a bit of a crash!

The impact of Covid19 aside, I started the year with a blank and feeling very uninspired and completely unfocused. Lots of half painted figures and project next steps in front of me but nothing caught my eye.

Initially I had a hook with Warlord Miniatures new American Civil War Epic range, it reminded me a lot of teh old GW Warmaster game which I never got into but had alway sat on my maybe list. I picked up some free sprues that had been given away with Wargames Illustrated and made a start with a Union force

First of my Union troops, first time painting on the Sprue as well which certainly helped with these

First Union Canon, although i think I will have to go back and add some red flash

The AWC is also not a period I have looked into before so I had plenty of background reading and viewing available keep me going.

Unfortunately I think I tried to do too much, too soon and after the test unit and cannon the weigh of Batch painting crashed me out again.

Put to one side, I have no doubt I will come back to these, just not yet!

Still in limbo I will look at defaulting to my usual re inspiration and do some terrain until the Muse is upon me!

Until then, my plans for 2021 include...

1. Bloodbath at Orcs Drift Project - Continue buildings and finish off Civilians and Militia Unit.

2. Prehistoric Project - Finish Homo Erectus tribe and Heidelbergensis (Green Stuff furs on the remaining figures and paint!) and start testing rules

3. Relics - Buildings for Vaettir and Nuem, possible ship for Britanan. Complete at least one Faction, probably C'thu first as I have several foot units started on my table of shame along with some Barbs of Thamos! 

4. Turnip28 - have a lovely board, now need to add some units!!

5. Erin - Sidhe and Formorans to do

6. Saga - Romano-British ongoing and Dark Age village (this will also be used for Erin)

7. Epic - finish Bad Moon Gargant and finish Alt Reaver and Warhounds so I can finally start my Warlords!!

8. Man O War - Empire to finish and Dwarves to start!

9. Rogue Trader/ WH40K,  Original Necrons (Keep or sell, undecided!) Adeptus Mechanicus (Keep or Sell, undecided) warbands for Inquisitor and Dusk Raiders ongoing

10. Doctor Who - Focus on Finishing Robot set with UNIT troops and Bunker to build. 

Next set Three Doctors, Pyramids of Mars, Brain of Morbius or Destiny of the Daleks

11. Frostgrave - ongoing city build and finalise Warband

12. Mordheim - paint up undead warband!

13. Alternative Armies - Ion Age 15m and 28mm, paint up playable factions and play!!

14. Pulp/7TV...don't really need to be starting any more projects but keep looking...

More than enough to keep me busy well into 2022!