Eilif's Toybashing and More (12/17 Alpha Strike in 10mm)

[eilif]

Thanks for the kind words folks.  Now for something completely different.  In the club we've been slowly building a sci-fi setting called the "Galactic Frontier". The object is to be able to include almost any sci-fi game, regardless of ruleset in one universe. This could include games such as Full Thrust,  Tomorrow's War, Mech Attack, Panzer 8, Warengine, etc, and even post apoc games like Nuclear Renaissance.  

Right now this setting is mostly an overview page briefly describing some of the factions and planets with links to related blog battle reports: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/p/galactic-frontier-homebrew-sci-fi.html

Recently, however, I started writing more in depth bits of fluff regarding important locations and historical events. The first of these more lengthly pieces is "A recent History of the Ventauran Empire".  It is an attempt to both provide the history to the Ventauran faction (my most commonly played sci-fi miniatures) and to ret-con into the Galactic Frontier the large 28mm "Mech Attack" convention games that I've run for the last two years at the local convention "Little Wars",  both of which included Ventauran units.

A Ventauran Coms trooper:


The "Recent History of the Ventauran Empire" is posted here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/03/galactic-frontier-recent-history-of.html

Right now it's just got some nice thematic inspirational art from the interwebs, but it will soon have some pictures of my Ventuaran and Khiff Platoons and links to these two battles...
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/05/mech-attack-battle-report-from-little.html
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/05/epic-photo-dump-from-little-wars-2013.html
Which are no longer just a pair of convention games, but rather an integral part of the formation of the Ventauran Empire!

Anywho, this particular article is pretty much fixed, but I'd really welcome any opinions about it and advice regarding further background articles for the Galactic Frontier.  

Stay Tuned as in the works I have another background piece on the history of Oxxidon Prime which provides a setting for our Post-Apoc games as well as as a small bit overview of a new faction, the Maersk-Tesla corporation.

[eilif]

Edited to correct first link.

Another background piece today.
This one is a quick overview the "Maersk-Tesla" corporation, their history, aims and forces.
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-maersk-tesla-corporation.html
The Maersk-Tesla Corporation is a faction that serves a "Weyland-Yutani" type of role in our universe.  
It's a very useful sort of faction to have in the universe that can be either the good or bad guy in a given situation and can be part-of or just background-in many scenarios.  

I actually did a little bit of research (mostly wikipedia) on this one, both of Danish history and geography and some modern shipping firms.  The Galactic Frontier is young enough (current year 2455) that we can draw on modern history if it serves our needs.

For minis, I've not painted up with anything for their para-military "Asset Protection" units, but I have used Necromunda Van Saar as one of their Survey teams, in the ill-fated mission that was this game:
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/10/bloodbath-in-nanotech-dustbowl.html
I've also been buying various suits-with-guns miniatures to represent their various operatives.

[warburton]

Cool stuff

[eilif]

Just wrote up another background article up for the Galactic Frontier.
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/05/oxiddon-alpha-troubled-world-on.html

This one is a bit lengthy, but it's split up into sections.  It's the saga of planet of Oxxidon Prime, covering the...

-first mining operations and subsequent terraforming.
-Creation of the "Bridge" cities and the separate peace.
-The Bridger-Broadlander War
-The Remnant Broadlanders and their struggle to survive.
-The Uberbrucken Gates.

This article reveals one of Maersk Tesla's greatest debacles.  It also provides a location in which the club can have post-apocalypse gaming and still locate it in the Galactic Frontier if we wish. 

As before, the blog editor has scoured the web to put some amazing pieces of artwork into the article to flesh out the mood of the piece.

[eilif]

I recently finished building a whole batch of Dust Tactics "Warzone Tenement" buildings for my sci-fi city (though they're fairly genre-neutral).  I'm really pleased with the kits, though like the Pegasus Gothic kits, they require a bit of work to get the most from them.  Also, it turns out that self adhesive vinyl tiles and the Dust Tactics Quonset Huts make great roofs!
Lots of tips and pics here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2015/01/getting-most-from-dust-tactics-tenement.html

[Momotaro]

Tenements are a brilliant idea - love the quonset hut roofs.

Those old Denizen minis look great, don't they?

[warburton]

Nice.

[Hawkeye]

Excellent! I have one of the tenement buildings (I should have got some more in the sale before Christmas, but didn't - still kicking myself). This is a great outline of the possibilities for the kit. I'll be using it when I put my own tenement together (along with the extra ones that I will inevitably buy). I love the look of the Quonset huts as a top floor/roof - it looks amazing! I think I'll be borrowing that particular idea. Painted bronze, with a nice patina, it will look great, I think.

[zizi666]

Excellent !

Now you make me feel bad for not ordering some buildings and quonset huts during the Xmas sale. That was a nice deal, but P&P to EU made it less interesting 

[eilif]

Thanks Folks,
I had a blast making these.

Momotaro,
I'm definitely a fan of the Denizen figs. I've got a platoon of Ventaurans and Khiff and they really are exceptional figs.  I haven't gotten any of the human factions because of the size, but it doesn't bother me in the least if the Aliens are a bit short compared to Terrans (25/26mm vs 28mm).

Hawkeye and zizi66,
      I bought mine (9 boxes worth) from the same sale, some Quonsets and some Dust vehicles and a few other thigns I'm still kicking myself for not buying a few other things.  Since FFG is losing the license to distribute I'm really hoping they have another blow-out sale.  I'd love to pick up some of those Russkie tanks.

If you all have any questions about construction not covered in the blog post, feel free to let me know.

[sean_68333]

Great stuff.  I have one of those elevated train station toys.  Seeing what you did makes me want to break it out and lay paint to it.  I don't know if I will use it as a train station or modify it into something else.

Great stuff.  Thanks for sharing.

[eilif]

Finished up the paint on the 7 buildings based on the Dust Tactics "Warzone Tenement" kits.   Lots of additional greebling on these but nothing too specific and the result is a set of buildings that could work in a variety of genres from the mid 20th century through the grim darkness of the far future.  Most have accessible interiors.
Pictures and descriptions of each building here:
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2015/01/fully-painted-dust-tactics-warzone.html

[Hawkeye]

Superb. Absolutely superb. I loved the Quonset hut roofs even before they were painted, but now that they ARE painted, they're even better! Wonderful! I also love the one that puts one of the huts in the center of the roof (more or less), so that it looks like a maintenance level, or something, and gives roof access via the door in the side of the hut. Excellent. I also love how you've created different footprints for the buildings too, and different floor layouts - I'll be borrowing that idea, although I think I need to pick up a couple more sets so that I can make a few different buildings!

I think my favorite might be the Grand Hotel, with the (wonderfully weathered) addition from the Thomas the Train set. Genius. It's so good, in fact, that I'm already looking at picking up that Thomas the Train set to use for the same purpose - my son will get the structure itself, to add to his Thomas the Train stuff, but I'll "borrow" the roof (and make sure he doesn't even realize that there IS a roof). I think I'll combine it with the Quonset hut roof idea to make a real centerpiece building.

Thank you for allowing me to see just what can be done with these buildings - they're brilliant.

[sundayhero]

Really nice, it could also be used for Shadowrun Berlin, for example. Great !

[eilif]

Thanks for the kind words!

Sundayhero,
       I actually looked at pictures of cyberpunk buildings to get ideas for greebling.

Hawkeye,
       Glad to hear that I've inspired you to rob your children! You may be able to find a deal on a used one on Ebay.   A warning though, mine is an older version (take-n-play system) so it may be different, but by the time I took off the awning, it had ruined the electronics.  The weathering on the "glass" awning is really easy to replicate.  Just brush on a couple layers of matte varnish until it looks like frosted  glass and follow with a tan drybrush. over black with a light tan drybrush to finish it off.  I'm all about fast paint jobs.

For the building with the hut in the middle of the roof minis can be placed inside the hut by reaching through the garage door and through a hole in the floor.