Painted BUA, NOD Attack Bikes, and Technicals

This pic is in the wrong place... read on to guess where it should be...

The  first shantytown BUA template has been painted. I still plan to add posters, graffiti, and junk on the base. The plan is to make at least six shantytown BUAs, and some tent city BUAs.

A view from above.

It really needs some graffiti to add some class.

Hmmm, looks like I need to paint more of the interior floors.

Needs more clutter.

In the distance, a fleet of technicals.

Next up are some Nod Attack Bikes. The basis for these are some toy motorcycles, with the addition of Airfix 88mm Flak ammo crates to act as missile pods. In our CD games these are treated as light armour, rather than personnel stands. These doesn't add much to their survivability.

Nod Attack Bikes: Fast moving targets for GDI...

And another view. Fast light attack for those not wanting Nod buggies.

And now for some technicals. The essential motorised element for the third world militia on the go.

The fleet of technicals, with two additions...

An Atlantic Ambulance from the aptly named Atlantic Ambulance set.

A view from the front.

Side view, and yes, the steering wheel does go through the front window. It's a design feature!

Ambulance rear.

And inside: patient on stretcher and medic - crowded!

I believe this to be a Tootsie Toy, a brand of small die cast vehicles sold in US dime stores.

I found it in a junk store, with it's original blue paint job very badly chipped.

But it looked like a neat wee car, so I bought it, repainted it, and then blogged it!

Jeep - Maker unknown, driver and front passenger - Airfix, HMG - Matchbox, with Leva ammo box, back passenger - Hong Kong knock off of Airfix 1/32 US Marine officer.

Jeep from Hong Kong army men pack. It makes an ok light truck.

Crew is a mixture of Esci and Airfix with one conversion. Gun is a 40K bolter.

Another Hong Kong jeep. Gun is from a toy plastic submarine. Driver and front passenger Airfix figures. Passenger is woman with baby from the Airfix Civilians set, driver from Airfix GMC kit.

Airfix Bofor gun crewman given an Esci bush hat.

Red ones go faster! vehicle is from a New Ray playset.

Gunner is a Dapol Railway workman, Driver is a Airfix figure.

Another New Ray vehicle. Both this and the red one had surgery to cut away the roof. Driver is Airfix, rear passenger Hong Kong knock off.

New Ray vehicle. Roof was cut away and scratch built recoilless rifle added. Driver is Airfix.

Another view of the above technical.

These technicals were first made for games of AK-47, that my gaming group played in 20mm. Then they got drafted into various Noddist forces, and other militia and mercenary groups. In CD these vehicles get quite reasonable movement rates which encourages players to move them around the board to their destruction lets players have mobile heavy weapons support. Unfortunately, they are the CD equivalent of the Ford Pinto. Militias in Harad often use technicals, but  they are rarely in front line service of the major warring factions. More importantly, they are quite fun to play with!

Tusken Raiders

I decided to put a wash over my Tusken Raiders to try and give them a more gritty look. However, it didn't work as well asit has on other figures, The only thing that I can think of is that I hadn't degreased the figures, nor actually put any paint on them for the wash to adhere to. As they were prepainted Micro Machines figures, it simply didn't even cross my mind to do so.

Sand People are easily startled...

....but will soon return....

... in greater numbers.

A key aspect in the life of the Tusken Raiders is their relationship with their Bantha mounts.

My first attempt at scratchbuilding a Bantha. I plan to redo the horns, lips, and those beady little eyes...

A plastic hippo was used as a basis for the conversion. Air drying plasticine was used to build up the shaggy coat.

The size of the Bantha with Sand People near by for scale.

Like the Jawa horde the Tusken army has been based for use with my Star Wars CD variant. Enjoy some more pictures of the Tusken.

Gaderffii or Gaffi sticks - a Tusken's best friend!

More Tusken! Such a shame that the whole  Micro Machines figure range is out of production.

Centre front stand stand is carrying a Cycler rifle.

Another view. The wash has worked well, but it could have been better.

So Jawas and Tusken done.... what Star Wars Army should I do next?

Beach Scenery

Years ago I ran a large CD game in the Lower Common Room of the UCSA building. The game was essentially a thinly veiled refight of the invasion of Tarawa in 1943. Like many moments in life that you wish you had a camera at - I sadly did not. While many things did not go well, weren't ready in time, or simply were overlooked, the game did result in the construction of many items of kit that still see use today. (And by today, I mean within the last three years)

In particular, a reasonable amount of beach obstacles that were designed to be generic as possible. The idea being that they could then be used in a variety of other settings. I rediscovered these lately while digging through the hoard looking for something else entirely.

The good ol' Esci classic. I really need to rust these guys up a little.

Another view of the hedgehogs. More D-day than Tarawa, but more useful for other gaming.

Another view of the same.

Still waiting for the fuse wire to run between them. A collection of Esci wooden obstacles.

Another view of same.

And some more.

Front two rows are Fujimi hedgehogs from memory.

Rows (from front) three to six are hedgehogs from the same set that the mystery figures came from.

Connector pieces from a kids toy set. These came as part of a second hand acquisition of wargaming stuff.

Broken hedgehogs to represent broken hedgehogs.

Looking at these photos it appears that I must have added to the amount I had for the Tarawa game. I still have some more waiting to be built up. Looks like another expedition into the hoard is called for!

Shantytown BUA for CD, Harad WIP

I'm again procrastinating from painting up Airfix French for my Volley and Bayonet army. And what better procrastination than making terrain for a different period and rules system!

Most major urban centers in Harad have gained shantytowns on their outskirts. These shantytowns lack virtually everything except poverty and desperation. In CD terms, these shantytowns can be represented by multiple templates. As with other BUA (Built Up Area) templates, a balance is needed between the number of items required to represent what the template is, and the ability to place stands throughout the template.

Balsa wood, cardboard, straws, and a MDF base.

Another view of the same. In keeping with the feel I was going for, nothing was measured, just guesimated.

Template measures aprox. 5 inches by 6.75 inches. Not a bad size template.

And now with added militia.

Roofs have been kept flat in order to allow placement of stands.

A view from above.

I might put rubble or other clutter where the 'missing' corner of this building should be.

The plan is is make up a few more shantytown templates, and at least one or two tent city templates, to add to the Harad terrain collection. I plan to add posters of various products to place on the walls in order to add to the general charm of the place.

Harad National Guard

One of the  Haradian forces I am building is the Harad National Guard. The HNG was founded by former Imperial military personnel, liberal politicians, pro western academics, and other concerned citizens after the revolution. Much, but not all, of the HNGs equipment is of western origin.

HNG Officer dressed in  uniform of Imperial Army. Green collar tabs show arm of service as being Infantry.

All this Command stand needs is a command...

The figure is a conversion using the top half of a Hong Kong knock off Airfix German Officer, and the legs and webbing from some presumably modern US Army figures of unknown Chinese manufacture. These mystery figures were purchased at The Warehouse during 2002 and 2003. These figures were also rumoured to be available at Dollar Stores in the USA during the same time frame.

HNG Forward Observer.  Due to supply shortages units in Harad often have a non uniform appearance.

Rear view of figure from our mystery Chinese manufacturer.

More HNG stands. Figures are all from our mystery manufacturer. The base plastic of these figures ranges for very, very, soft and bendy, through to quite hard. Colour is either green or tan. I decided to use these guys as HNG as they lacked decent detail to mix in with Modern US from Caesar, Esci, Forces of Valour, or Revell.

HNG Weapons stands.

HNG Rifle stands. The weapons these guys are armed with are very poorly sculpted.

A detachment of HNG organised as two companies of two rifle platoons and one weapons platoon. HQ company consists of one command stand, one FO stand (attached), and one patrol stand.

Given the quality of the figures I decided to try and paint them as having a less uniform look. I wanted to have blues and greys in the colour mix (So they could double as Noddist troops), but also lots of sand, and brown too. All of the figures were given a wash of Devlan Mud, and then their bases had sand  put on them, and the edges painted black . And finally, for Katherine, I added sand to the bases of these guys too!

Based militia. With added sand. Because my wife told me to... :)

Support stands for modern games.

At the moment I am looking at getting a moderns campaign going that is loosely based on the collapse of Yugoslavia. Part of this project requires me to have available for player usage a number of HMG, and other support stands. Some time back the blog Plastic Warrior had a great idea for making Sagger teams for use in CD. Since it was such a great idea, I thought that I would make some up too! Thanks Paul for sharing such a great idea!

Figures are from the Atlantic Machine Gunners and Mortars set.

Saggers are made from cut down Katyusha rockets and an ammo box from a Fujimi kit.

While the fins are far too small, and the missile the wrong shape, they look suitable for the purpose. In the version of modern Cd my group plays, teams like this are represented by single figure stands, allowing greater flexibility than if they were represented by one stand for a whole platoon.

Another type of stand required for the game will be that of the media. A number of stands will be created, but here is one of the first.

The dreaded Fourth Estate! Flee!

Figure is probably a knock off of a Galoob/Micro Machine figure. 

The role of the media in the campaign will be something I will blog about should the project manage to get up and running. In the meantime here is some work in progress on some HMG and MMG stands that I am making up.

 

Figures are Caesar WW2 Underground Resisters and one Esci Modern Russian Paratrooper. HMGs from bits box and the one the right the Atlantic Machine Gunners and Mortars set. Resin ammo boxes from the Leva Productions Russian Infantry equipment set.

Figures are Airfix WW2 Russians on left, and one Airfix Modern Russian on right, with an Atlantic figure from the Machine Gunners set.  MMGs are from the Leva Productions Russian Infantry equipment set.

HMGs are Atlantic, figures are Esic Warsaw Pact, Caesar Underground Resisters, and two Imex North Koreans.

More Atlantic HMGs crewed by an Esci Modern Russian Paratrooper, and three WW2 Airfix Russians.

The last of the Atlantic HMGs! Crew is Imex North Korean and Esci Vietnam War US special forces. The MG stand on the right are metals of unknown make, but are a WW2 German MG42 team.

Once these stands are finished, work will start on the mortars. Hopefully, I will be able to get this project all ready to go by the end of January.