2015 Plans

So, my plans for 2015...

Dark Ages

• Complete another 2pts for my Vikings, plus a couple of the character/leaders I have
• Build a small Dark Ages village and paint the villagers/animals I have - I love the look of the Song of Shadows and Dust rules and I'd love to re-purpose them for disputes between rivals in a Dark Ages town
• Build a 4pt Saxon force - I got a box of the plastic Saxons for Christmas, plus I have a bunch of plastic Dark Age Warriors left over

Judge Dredd

• Build 2 rival Citi-Def gangs - these are inspired by the wonderful Citi-Def over on The Leadpile - I requested a couple of the sets he's used from Copplestone Castings for Christmas. 
• Assemble the Angel Gang - I got the new version of these from Warlord Games/Mongoose. I also want to have a scout through my misc. figure boxes to see if I have any other wasteland scum to join these, and will also be sprucing up some of the post-apoc figures I have to run a campaign in the Cursed Earth
• Assemble the East-Meg Judges - another Christmas present

Lovecraftian Mythos - this is a pretty new project...

• Lovecraftian creatures - these will be done in the same basing style that I use for the majority of my collection, meaning the creatures can be used in multiple genres. Creatures planned are Deep Ones (from Reaper Bones figures), a Shoggoth, Dimensional Shamblers and this creature from Pure Evil Miniatures
• Cult leaders, cultists and madmen - a mix of miniatures here, with the cultists coming from the Artizan Designs Thrilling Tales range
• Agents and misc. helpers - figures from Artizan, Copplestone (the Gangsters range) and Statuesque Miniatures

Darkest Dungeon - a planned fantasy skirmish/RPG based on the Kickstarted PC game - using all manner of figures from my Fantasy Skirmish stuff, with added characters from the games Player Characters:

• I already have a bunch of figures built and basecoated for this - it's just a case of getting them finished!

Phew. This barely scratches the surface on my plans! But these are some of my focuses for the next year...

Post-Apoc - Sheriff Bolt Weld, Cyborg Vampire Hunter

Sheriff Bolt Weld reached into his jacket to check his timepiece. High noon was ticking ever closer, and with it, the 3-day eclipse. For three days every year, the sun blackened, allowing the swarms of mechani-bats and cybo-vamps to descend on the settlement he had peerlessly guarded for two generations. This time...something had changed.

For one, his Deputies had been found torn apart, CPU chips smashed, lenses shattered. Something inhuman had ambushed them and known exactly what was needed to shut them down. Townsfolk had been found drained of blood in their own homes. Livestock had been found mutilated, in front of what seemed like makeshift altars to...who knows what? This was more than Weld could cope with. He had been programmed to deal with the occult mechanical, not whatever this new threat was - could he get his townsfolk through the eclipse with their motherboards intact?

Comments? Questions? No idea what this figure is, previously had a sort of bowler hat. I replaced the head with one from a Darkson Designs Robot Trooper. A nice wacky conversion - I had been reading up on Mutants and Death Ray Guns whilst putting this guy together...

Zomb-Apoc - Mike, ex-con.

For ex-con Mike, the coming of the zombie apocalypse wasn't exactly the end of the world. Ironic really. No longer would he struggle to find gainful employment with his tarnished record or have to check in with his parole officer.

Mike had put a crawling, one-legged undead Police officer out of his misery with a steel toe'd boot to the head and was rewarded with a pistol and several ammunition clips. From here on, Mike was a new person - his future was finally back in his hands...

Mike is a Hasslefree Miniatures figure (a not-Marv) and will primarily be used in my zombie apocalypse setting.

Comments? Suggestions? All is most welcome!

Vault 21 - Hunk, ex-Security Trooper

Hunk never did enjoy living underground. Although, he didn't really know much else, having been born and raised in Vault 21. After failing various scientific aptitude tests, Hunk was assigned a position in the security team. Unfortunately, Hunk's heavy-handed approach to handling minor infractions (and a propensity to break out the frag grenades upon sight of the smallest radroach) saw him sent off into the wasteland in order to bring back a water chip...

Hunk is a not-Gears of War COG trooper from the Reaper Chronoscope range. I liked the figure but could never quite figure out what to do with him. I'd painted him in olive green, then in dark grey, then finally decided to turn him into a Vaultie that had "appropriated" some pieces of armour from a Brotherhood of Steel member.

Comments? Questions? This is another figure painted months ago that had been languishing in the blog queue. It feels good to finally get these posted up!

Vault 21 - Hercules, Ghoul Gunslinger

Meet Hercules - the ghoulish gunslinging ex-Vaultie that can hole a bottlecap at 30 paces...

I wish Copplestone Castings would add more to the Future Wars range. There's lots of cool stuff there, but loads of space for more Fallout-inspired goodness! Herc is for my post-apoc project, but I do love multi-use miniatures - he could rather easily slot into the Dredd universe too!

Post-Apoc: Powder Gangers

A lovely figure picked up second hand from a forum - I intend to use these as an objective marker rather than a gang member. The paint-scheme was inspired by the Powder Gangers from Fallout: New Vegas. Does anyone know what range the figure is from? Nice quick paint-job (I tried to get quite a bit of variation in the browns/tans of the jackets and trousers). 

Comments? Questions? Hmm, a full gang of these might be nice...

The White Snakes Cartel

Finally, a nice group shot of the White Snakes plus their hired assassin. Time to get some games in...

White Snakes Cartel - Red Spectre, Hired Assassin

The last member of the White Snakes Cartel, a hired assassin operating under the code-name Red Spectre. 

Red Spectre was hired to "rub" the leader of a rival cartel. The target was wiped out, but was revealed to be an undercover Judge. The fallout from the death of the Judge sent the White Snakes leader his confidants into hiding in a Cursed Earth enclave. Spectre agreed to accompany them for a hefty fee, adding some long-ranged skill to the force of crims...

Red Spectre is an Infinity miniature - I'm not sure which particular faction though, can anybody help me out? The only modification to the stock model was the removal of the long braid at the back of the helmet. I love the rifle she has, in game it'd be some sort of heavy las rifle. Another miniature that could easily work in Necromunda or Firefly-esque settings.

Comments? Questions? The last few models posted have actually been finished for a few months now...actually, around 6 months come to think of it! Bloody real life/work getting in the way!

White Snakes Cartel - Thud, Cyborg Bodyguard

This gentleman is THUD, the cybernetic-organic bodyguard of Klint Gargant, leader of the White Snakes Cartel. The figure is from Reaper Miniatures' Chronoscope range.

This is actually the second time I've painted this miniature - the first time seemed to be a bit of a rush-job, then paint began chipping off rather easily. I removed the paint (alongside his boss, who was stripped at the same time) and repurposed them for this project.  

Comments? Suggestions? He's intended for the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game, wherein cyborgs have some precedent (Mean Machine Angel).

Necromundan Bestiary: Clawed Lasher (Thrullg)

I loved this miniature when I first saw the pre-release photos - it's a Thrullg from the Privateer Press Hordes range. I knew I'd have to buy it (this impulse seems to happen quite regularly...) and purchased it as soon as I could!

I gave him a standard 40k-style 40mm base as I can see him being used alongside Necromunda figures more than I can see myself playing Hordes. I would use him as a "big bad" in the Necromundan Underhive or even as a Dark Eldar Clawed Fiend. 

Comments? Suggestions? I actually used a rather luminous shade of Vallejp green whilst highlighting the figure, but that seems to have been somewhat washed out by the camera...

White Snakes Cartel - Sicarii

++++Justice Department - All Points Bulletin ref. 63748/BK – Addendum ++++

Also seeking for questioning – misc. Sicarii (“Daggers”) of the White Snakes Cartel. Believed to be incognito in rad-zones or possible "Cursed Earth" criminal enclave. Wanted in connection to crimes committed in Mega City One, Brit-Cit and Murphyville, not limited to:

Aggravated Assault, Aiding and Abetting, Arson, Assault, Battery, Bribery, Hab Burglary, Conspiracy to Defraud, Disorderly Conduct, Disturbing the Peace, Embezzlement, Extortion via Bodysharking, Extortion via Psyco, Fraud, Harassment, Hate Crime, Identity Theft, Kidnapping, Money Laundering, Murder, Perjury, Public Intoxication, Stimm Cultivation/Manufacturing, Stimm Possession  Stimm Trafficking or Distribution, Driving Under the Influence of Stimms, Sugar Possession, Tax Evasion, Tek Crime, Theft, Tri-D Fraud and Umpty Trafficking with intent to supply.

Sicarii can be identified by White Snakes Cartel uniform – green rain slicker w/ White Snake markings, shaven head and implant optics.

Known accomplices – lieutenant Klint Gargant, cyber-organic bodyguard Rockface, numerous hired assassins and blitzers.

Cred reward offered for information leading to the arrest/termination of target/s.

++++All Points Bulletin Ends++++

The bullet shields to accompany Klint Gargant, who was posted earlier. These miniatures are from East Riding Miniatures "Corporate Wars" range - I actually received these by accident a couple of years ago - I ordered some of the Corporate Enforcers and these guys arrived in their place. The correct minis were sent out very quickly and I was told to keep these - I never really had a place for them until recently! They fit with the bald head/long jacket of Klint. I still have another two additions to this gang to post up and then I will show the gang altogether.

White Snakes Cartel - Klint Gargant, Crime Boss

++++Justice Department - All Points Bulletin ref. 63748/BK++++
Currently seeking for questioning - Klint Gargant, Lugarteniente (Lieutenant) of the White Snakes Cartel. Believed to be incognito in rad-zones or possible "Cursed Earth" criminal enclave. Wanted in connection to crimes committed in Mega City One, Brit-Cit and Murphyville, not limited to:
Aggravated Assault, Aiding and Abetting, Arson, Assault, Battery, Bribery, Hab Burglary, Conspiracy to Defraud, Disorderly Conduct, Disturbing the Peace, Embezzlement, Extortion via Bodysharking, Extortion via Psyco, Fraud, Harassment, Hate Crime, Identity Theft, Kidnapping, Money Laundering, Murder, Perjury, Public Intoxication, Stimm Cultivation/Manufacturing, Stimm Possession  Stimm Trafficking or Distribution, Driving Under the Influence of Stimms, Sugar Possession, Tax Evasion, Tek Crime, Theft, Tri-D Fraud and Umpty Trafficking with intent to supply.
Cred reward offered for information leading to the arrest/termination of target.
++++All Points Bulletin Ends++++

Klint is a Reaper Miniatures figure that I finished a few months back after the Mega City One Justice Department team, as the leader of a gang of crims for the Judges to hunt down. I had fun writing up the list of this upstanding gentleman's crimes - more of the gang will appear in the next week, including a genhanced bodyguard with implant weaponry, some dumb criminal thugs and a hired sniper assassin...

Gas Canisters

I picked up some gas canisters from Black Cat Bases as I thought they'd be a decent game-changer in the zomb-apoc setting. Inspired by Left 4 Dead, the gas canisters would be strategically set up by survivors when they're holding out, or passed by whilst making an escape attempt. The survivors could then shoot the canisters, causing an explosion and taking out any nearby zeds. Noisy, but effective...

Xenos Mercs - The Full Pack

The Guard-Pack complete - I'm happy with how these now stand, but I may add a couple of other miniatures to the team. Maybes a human leader, or a couple of other Xenos...

Comments are most welcome - I have lots more painted goodness coming up!

Xenos Mercs - The Arjuk

Erkon wields a massive axe that most of the Kraanites would struggle to lift.

The Arjuk home-system lies to the galactic north of the Kraan Cluster and relations between the neighbouring sentient races have long been convivial - the Kraanites and Arjuks have made war alongside each other for several thousand years. Fortunes have waxed and waned over the past hundred years and both species have found the need to provide mercenary services to a number of different clients.

He backs up the axe with a shotcannon and short-sword.

The bulk of Erkon is typical of his race - he adds a good amount of muscle to the Guard-Pack. Arjuks are useful for dealing with the heavier troops that the Packs sometimes come up against - particularly some of the larger fauna roaming the wastes and jungles surrounding Groundfall. 

This big guy is from a double pack in the old Cobalt-1 range, now sold here: Erkon & Manchos from Black Hat Miniatures. I decided to keep to the name given to him in the old range (at least...I guess that's him, not the small guy?). I only just realised how much he looks like a Hordes Trollblood of some sort... I gave him the axe-head, sheathed shotgun and sword from a 40k Ork.

Xenos Mercs - Guard-Pack pt.2

The rest of the Kraanites, following the scent of their pack-brothers...

The Kraanite pack found in the slums of Araskh is estimated to number between 30-50 hounds, plus their allies - various xenos species are known to work alongside the hounds to provide support. The group is then divided into Hunt-Packs or Guard-Packs depending upon the task assigned to them. Pictured above is the rest of the hounds of the Guard-Pack assigned to protect a number of corporate assets around the sprawling settlement of Groundfall.

Kraanite hounds are tenacious fighters, fiercely loyal to their employers and consumnate scavengers - their weaponry and equipment is often taken from their defeated enemies. This approach works well for the Guard-Pack stationed in Groundfall, as fresh supplies to the settlement are often limited.

These are from the old Cobalt-1 range, now sold here: Ar-Men from Black Hat Miniatures. I have a bunch of other figures from this range - lots of really cool stuff - nice aliens to add to your 40k skirmishes.

Xenos Mercs - Guard-Pack pt.1

Part of the pack, picking up the scent of their target.

The dog-soldiers of the Kraan Cluster are a mercenary formation operating on the frontier worlds of the Eastern Fringe. From time to time, Rogue Traders have been observed hiring Kraanite Hounds for the added protection a pack can provide on-world. Whilst in the greater Imperium, a citizen found to be conversing or living alongside xenos could expect a swift punishment, things are a little more lenient out of sight of the Ecclesiarchy or Arbites...

On the turbulent planet of Araskh, a Kraanite pack has operated as guards for various merchant interests over the past several years. Through use of translator tech built into their harnesses they are able to communicate with the various races that make up the shantytowns bordering the worlds major settlements.

These are from the old Cobalt-1 range, now sold here: Ar-Men from Black Hat Miniatures. They're lovely sculpts by Bob Naismith, with a real Rogue Trader feel. I left these stock - I couldn't think of anything I wanted to add to them. These will be joined by another three and a heavy hitter, as mercenaries in my wasteland setting.

Dark Vengeance

Bloody brilliant! Dark Vengeance pictures have been online for a week or two now, and I have some favourites...

I'm gona need about 60 of the Chaos Cultists - I have a million and one ideas for their use buzzing about in my head...

1. Frateris Militia - I have some gasmask heads with turbans from Ramshackle Games that would suit these figures well - I'd lop off their heads, replace them, remove any chaotic icons, add prayer script/purity seals/personal Imperial icons. They're basically cultists for the Imperial Church, so these fit well.
2. Redemptionists - similar conversion, with various different masked heads instead. 
3. Ash Waste/Desert Nomads - probably the least converting required - maybe more shawls and water bottles, everyone gets a gas mask/rebreather.
4. Imperial Workers Militia/Scratch Company - like the ones from Necropolis. Formed from loyalist Imperial civilians who have banded together to resist invasion from . I'd swap in some bare heads, maybes some Lasguns on a few of them.
5. Genestealer cultists - again, head swaps, new icons, pretty much done!
6. ...and so on! Anyone have other suggestions?

This guy may be my favourite of the lot. The gloves and tabard really make it. I'd love to see him with the masked head removed and a hairy flagellant head (with sculpted mask) added!

I absolutely love the Chaos side of this set - on the plus side for Dark Angels players, it's going to be amazingly easy to start up a new force - I can see eBay being flooded with that side of the box. It kind of sucks that today is payday and the pre-orders have gone online on every webstore! Must. Not. Purchase!

Wasteland Town - Shack 4

The last of the shanty buildings - this one uses one part of the recycled cardboard packaging that you can see on this entry on Terrain From Junk (the other blog I write for) as well as one of the camper vans reclaimed in this article.

I added various parts, including plastic tubing, plasticard scraps and corrugated card and turned the remains of the camper into an extension of the building.

The side of the building, with waste pipe - I should really add some sort of gunk to it...

I plan on adding a bunch of posters to these pieces. Posters for wasteland circuses, propaganda, wanted posters etc. - I think they'll add a lot to the lived-in feel and really dress up some of the more boring sides...

Wasteland Town - Shack 3

I've shown this shanty previously - it's a refuelling station for the most common sort of vehicles and machinery in my post-apocalyptic world.

The last pictures didn't show the sign, or the various little bits of graffiti covering the building.

Water tanks at the side, as well as some fuel drums.

Ladders round the back, leading upto the roof of the shack...

The "chill-out area" hidden behind the shanty sign. Beers, socialist propaganda and a pack of smokes!

The building has been patched together with all sorts of junk - I love these roadsigns I got in a kids playset!