Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: spleenrippa on January 29, 2024, 11:49:46 PM
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Tired of the corporate yoke, and knowing that Morris-Ingram's lawyers would keep their petition for independence with the Interstellar Colonial Authority mired in legal proceedings for decades to come, the residents of the colony of New Leyland issued a declaration of independence. The provisional council wasted little time in making arrests, seizing key infrastructure, and establishing the New Leyland Security Forces. Mercenary advisors had secretly been hired by the wealthiest of New Leyland's residents during the preceding months, and under their guidance the NLSF soon drove the corporate loyalists to holdouts in the outer provinces.
This is a bit of background for a setting I've had brewing for a while. Really, it's a mashup of the Congo crisis and Rhodesia's bush war... But in Space! I'm testing the waters here, but if people are actually interested I'll run a "real time" Bongolesia-style series of reports on my website to cover events as they unfold.
For NLSF troopers, I'm mostly using Dark Fire Design and Skullforge Imperial Army figures, scaled to proper 28mm size and printed on my Saturn 2.
(https://i0.wp.com/roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010003.jpg?ssl=1)
A squad leader points to their objective
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010018.jpg)
A weapon team takes aim with an IAVR
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010043.jpg)
Some of the off-world hires care little for what the NLSF says they have to wear
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010035.jpg)
Repurposed "rapid manufacturers" (3d printers) mean that even small forces can field units such as the Dog Hunter mecha
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010020.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010030.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010026.jpg)
Several dozen corporate VTOL transports were seized during the takeover. They were quickly painted and put to military use
More to follow!
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Great photos!
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This sounds like a great idea! I'm a big fan of Africa's wars of insurgency (having written a rules set with essentially that name... lol ). So, I'm really interested to hear about it.
The minis look great! Great start on this project... :-*
Mike Demana
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Absolutely incredible. Love it all. The Lightyear shuttle is fantastic. I have 3 or 4 due to be painted up. Where is the mech from?
Looking forward to more pics and info on your project!
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Those Imperial Army troopers look great, they're perfect. The repainted shuttle looks really good too.
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Absolutely incredible. Love it all. The Lightyear shuttle is fantastic. I have 3 or 4 due to be painted up. Where is the mech from?
Looking forward to more pics and info on your project!
Thanks for the kind comments, everyone :-*
I have no interest in the millions of 40k proxies that are out there, which leaves me spending a lot of time in Blender making my own vehicles. For this mech, I took inspiration from VOTOM's Scopedog and Heavy Gear's Hunter. I rigged the model so I can fit weapons and pose it before exporting the STLs for printing. The torso holds a pilot, and his head is even inside the mech's- just like a Hunter or Scopedog
Here are a few more shots, this time in the lightbox:
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010061.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010059.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010060.jpg)
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Very cool 8)
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Tossed a dropship in the lightbox while I had it out. I have three of these painted up, Miss Behavin', Bug Stomper, and Natural 20. I cobbled the decals together from various SVGs and printed them.
Mercenary hire Major Scarlett Hawkins runs the 575th Combined Arms Tactical Group, affectionately known as The Lovers, hence the hearts lol
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010056.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010055.jpg)
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Great set of minis and their transport :)
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Excellent! Really like the dropship.
T
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Yeah, my dropship is still in its box in the loft.
Inspiring paintjob, but way beyond my airbrush skills (I'm hoping that's airbrushed, because if it's hand painted, there's no hope for me o_o)
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This sounds like a great idea! I'm a big fan of Africa's wars of insurgency (having written a rules set with essentially that name... lol ). So, I'm really interested to hear about it.
The minis look great! Great start on this project... :-*
Mike Demana
I bought your rules a year or two ago. They're great!
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The Vesta Pact was signed to counteract the growing power and influence of the Commonwealth. Despite the protests of their mercenary advisors against it, the provisional council of the Republic of New Leyland requested- and received- substantial materiel support from the VP, including an entire Spaceborne Assault Team.
Ostensibly, VP forces landed to provide training and security, but I'm sure some nefarious ulterior motive will reveal itself... ::)
Like the NLSF, VP troops will be made up of Dark Fire Designs and Skullforge figures. Since the NLSF is getting support from the VP, the Stormtrooper models and other equipment make sense alongside (or against) the Imperial Army figs I'm using for the security forces. I've got a squad painted up so far... Only two dozen to go to make up a platoon. Ugh.
Since they're a thinly veiled not-VDV, I modelled a couple not-BMD variants for them to ride in. I've printed the first vehicle, but haven't started painting. For now, here's a sample from the first squad. My painting isn't fancy by any means, but it's enough that no one should be overly offended to see them on the tabletop. All my friends are 40kids so I have to provide/paint everything non-GW myself and time is valuable, lol.
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010063.jpg)
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All lovely stuff! Please keep it coming. :)
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All lovely stuff! Please keep it coming. :)
What he said.
Really nice camo on those not stormtroopers. The Imperial army figs look great and I love the drop ship scheme.
Very much looking forward to what comes next.
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Great stuff ;D
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I have no interest in the millions of 40k proxies that are out there, which leaves me spending a lot of time in Blender making my own vehicles. For this mech, I took inspiration from VOTOM's Scopedog and Heavy Gear's Hunter. I rigged the model so I can fit weapons and pose it before exporting the STLs for printing. The torso holds a pilot, and his head is even inside the mech's- just like a Hunter or Scopedog
Funny I was thinking on the first pic above how I was thinking it looked like it was part VTOMOM with a hint of Heavy Gear thrown in. Now we know why.
This an STL that will ever get released? Got a new printer set up and a weakness for VOTOMS and Heavy Gear.
Grimm
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Great looking project. Excellent work on the mech.
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Very interesting project and wonderful photos.
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The name Leyland grabbed mu attention as I used to live there! I'm now close by and wondered if there was a connection to that fantastic Lancashire town? Anyway I am so glad I decided to look as your work is excellent and the concept very interesting. Good luck, I will follow with interest
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Brilliant work, I am really liking what you are creating here. 👍
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Wonderful! 8)
I especially like the dropship/shuttle. I've got one of them painted, with two more waiting in the (looong ::) ) queue, but seeing your results, I'm of a mind to now paint at least one in a camo scheme :)
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Thanks for the kind comments, all. I've had a mate staying with me the last couple weeks, so productivity has basically been nil. However, I'll have an empty house starting this weekend so I plan to get caught up and post some more material.
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Finally got my not-BMD painted up for the in-progress Vesta Pact platoon. I have a commander printed, but decided not to go with him. Back to Blender to fab up another candidate for the next time I'm doing a print run...
The original model was intended for 15mm, so it's been scaled up and tweaked slightly. Some of the enlarged details are a bit crude, but good enough IMO.
I tried an approach to jewelling the vision blocks and lenses involving contrast paint. It didn't work overly well, so I'll go with a more conventional technique in the future.
For weathering I went with the more is more approach. I think I'll tone down the mud a bit next time lol lol
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010076.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010078.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010079.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010084.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010087.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/P1010088.jpg)
Don't talk to me or my son ever again!
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Nice, made me think at the M551 Sheridan tank.
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Finally got my not-BMD painted up for the in-progress Vesta Pact platoon.
The prints are looking good. Are tye files available?
Grimm
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Groovy! 👍
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That is a fun model. Good work on it.
I just read the intro and I look forward to more writes up of this Space-Bush-War
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Thanks for the comments, all. I'm working on finishing the not-stormtrooper VP platoon right now. Hopefully I'll have those banged off in the next couple days and then on to stuff that's generally more entertaining than assembly-line painting. I've got a couple special characters and vignettes primed that should look great on the table when done.
I've been humming and hawing about how to present story events and other game info. My current site (https://roboterkam.com/blog/ (https://roboterkam.com/blog/)) doesn't feel quite right for this project. I've been thinking of adding a subdomain and setting up a wiki for in-universe info, current events, equipment profiles, etc.
I've seen a couple posts inquiring about model availability, and to be honest it's not something I've given much thought to. Free is fine, but it'd be nice to get a couple dollars for a model and cover the cost of a coffee on the way to work here and there. Down side is, I have no interest in after-sales support or making sure pre-supported STLs are idiot-proof. Thoughts? Is there a market for cheap "take them as they are" STLs?
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Great looking model! One can never have enough mud on a scifi vehicle.
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(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1010018.jpg)
A weapon team takes aim with an IAVR
More to follow!
Be still my beating heart. Lizard camo in space. This thread is a huge inspiration. I've recently gotten back into tabletop wargaming and am now planning a project inspired by this. When are we gonna see dispatches?
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Be still my beating heart. Lizard camo in space. This thread is a huge inspiration. I've recently gotten back into tabletop wargaming and am now planning a project inspired by this. When are we gonna see dispatches?
Thanks so much for the kind words!
My sincerest apologies to the community for not posting an update for so long. Work and life have been sort of ridiculous, and most days I haven't had the gumption to 3d model or paint, let alone pull out the light tent and get photos ready.
Still, I have managed a bit of hobbying. I'm stuck in Edmonton right now, but will be returning to the promised land (BC) at week's end. I've got a few things to show off then. Stay tuned!
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Loving everything in this thread, will be watching it with great interest!
I've seen a couple posts inquiring about model availability, and to be honest it's not something I've given much thought to. Free is fine, but it'd be nice to get a couple dollars for a model and cover the cost of a coffee on the way to work here and there. Down side is, I have no interest in after-sales support or making sure pre-supported STLs are idiot-proof. Thoughts? Is there a market for cheap "take them as they are" STLs?
Sticking them on Cults3d with whatever nominal charge you like is probably the easiest.
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Following the New Leyland government's expulsion of Vesta Pact forces from the colony- and the refusal of the VP Spaceborne Assault Team to go- the two entered into a state of conflict.
With the SAT firmly entrenched in the Strathcona territory and possessing a marked superiority in terms of experience and materiel, NLSF commander Max Holden launched Operation Constant Spider- a series of hit-and-run attacks into the territory aimed at making life difficult for the unwelcome off-worlders.
I set up a small village for the purposes of showing off some of my terrain and taking a few photos. There was no actual game played, but I moved things around in order to tell a bit of a story.
You'll have to forgive my printers in the background lol
Overview:
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010090.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010094.jpg)
Sitting in the foothills of the Strathcona range, the small settlement of Bowen had been empty since the VP took hold of the area. The NLSF used this opportunity to lure in a detachment from the nearby garrison by energizing the village's radio tower.
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010098.jpg)
From the south, an SAT dismount section moves via the road into the village
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010103.jpg)
A second section moves in to search the southwestern building
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010115.jpg)
The Not-BMD arrives and takes up an overwatch position
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010116.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010117.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010121.jpg)
Security Forces spring the trap!
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010119.jpg)
Another team appears on the hill at the base of the radio tower
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010123.jpg)
From the northernmost roof, a trooper with an IAVR takes aim...
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010127.jpg)
A direct hit! The Not-BMD erupts into a fireball
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010132.jpg)
The NLSF aren't done yet. A forward observer calls in a round of incendiaries
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010133.jpg)
The rounds land on the first VP section with devastating effect
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010137.jpg)
The team on the hill watches the fireballs
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010139.jpg)
The security force teams move to ensure the second VP section does not proceed north. Meanwhile, the FO gets back on the radio...
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010141.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010143.jpg)
When it lands, the second barrage is just as effective as the first
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010147.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010146.jpg)
Although they had left willingly, the residents of Bowen had probably hoped to have something to return to...
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010150.jpg)
These thoughts don't cross the mind of the NLSF CO, who enjoys the view and an after-action cuppa from his perch on the hill
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That’s a great looking game! The best sort of hard sci-fi, in my opinion.
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Agreed! Looks like great fun :D
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Great 'not-game' eye candy; and agreed with Pattus - really good Hard Sci Fi inspiration
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Really awesome job all around! I, too, love the Lightyear transports. I've got a few of them myself waiting in the wings.
I also really enjoy the story telling with the photos. Very inspiring. I hope you keep the story rolling and keep posting.
PAX
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Those are fantastic photos! Do you have a link or anything to how you built the lighted blast markers? I'm getting ready to make some myself!
I fully expected the caption to the coffee mug commander to be, "I love the smell of incendiaries in the morning..." lol
Mike Demana
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Those are fantastic photos! Do you have a link or anything to how you built the lighted blast markers? I'm getting ready to make some myself!
I fully expected the caption to the coffee mug commander to be, "I love the smell of incendiaries in the morning..." lol
Mike Demana
The core of each blast marker is a dollar store LED tea light with the polyester fill from a cheap pillow hot glued around it. A quick dusting of black spray paint and you've got yourself a miniature explosion.
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(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010152.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010154.jpg)
Deep within the bush stands an effigy of the patron saint of beleaguered soldiers, St Javelin
I wanted to try a bronze statue, so I found a mini of St Javelin on Thingiverse and resin printed it at ~50mm height. The plinth was a ten minute modelling job in Blender, printed in PLA on my FDM machine. I think I managed an okay stone + patinaed bronze look. It might need some moss growing in the corners. Hmm. ::)
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You did better than “okay” mate! This looks great! What’s your stone recipe?
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Great looking game - it could be my tired brain, but I cannot see listed what ruleset(s) you are using, as it's definitely piqued my interest.
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I agree -- that statue is awesome. Thanks for the recipe on the explosion markers.
Mike Demana
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Great looking game - it could be my tired brain, but I cannot see listed what ruleset(s) you are using, as it's definitely piqued my interest.
No game played. I just wanted to take some photos, so I moved minis around a bit and made up the story as I was wrote the post ;D
That being said, I have been working on a set of rules for platoon level combat. Once I have a draft ready, I'll make sure to put a link here so anyone interested can check it out.
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You did better than “okay” mate! This looks great! What’s your stone recipe?
Thank for the kind words.
I didn't follow a set recipe or anything. To the best of my recollection, I:
Primed in black
Base coated in Vallejo Sombre Grey, then stippled two or three progressively lighter greys on
I flicked a black-grey of some sort at it to get the spots
Weathering was just GW contrast. A couple shades of brown and green put on, then pushed around with a really wet brush until it looked okay
Yeah, the whole thing was extremely scientific lol
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Being a rapid response force, I am ruling that a Vesta Pact Spaceborne Assault Team travels light. The typical SAT has several varieties of BMD-esque AFVs in its inventory, each of which is only a fraction the weight of an actual MBT. They also eschew large mecha, preferring to allocate mass in starlift capacity to power-armoured troopers instead.
To support this bit of worldbuilding I picked up the "Nyx power armour unit" from user Crimson Steel Mechworks on Myminifactory and printed off a squad. They're cool models and not an outright 40k ripoff, which is nice. I found them a PITA to assemble, though, as each section of the body is a separate piece (torso, each arm, legs) and the arm pegs are too shallow to really lock into the torso sockets. In the future, I'll take the unsupported versions of the models and kitbash everything in Blender so I can print each trooper in a single piece and save the crazy glue frustration.
Also, I'm not sold on the ginormous rifle. I think I'll lop the hand off entirely and have the arm end in a weapon, like an SAFS from MaK.... More Blender work lol
Anyway, here is my painted test mule on a WIP base. Some gripes, but nothing major. It's certainly a chonky bit of kit!
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010157.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010161.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010163.jpg)
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That’s a very cool model! Despite the assembly headaches you made it look great. With the consistent paint jobs across the different model lines, it fits right in with the conventional infantry.
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Nice 8)
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Crimson Steel Mechworks got some nice models. Followed his shop for now.
Spleen I like tge gun for what it is. It's a hunting gun for a large set of power armor that is a rifle with a round mag drum that holds a support weapons amount of ammo with an userslung grenade launcher with a multiple round magazine as well. But that's just my take.
Grimm
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Very nice power armour - I wonder if taking the 'carry handle' off the gun might help dechonk it a bit. Like Grimm it reads as suitably sized to hunt larger mechs/light vehicles rather than mowing down infantry
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Like Grimm it reads as suitably sized to hunt larger mechs/light vehicles rather than mowing down infantry
I never said I wouldn't shoot at infantry as well.
Grimm
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Anything that will take out light vehicles will probably be more than effective against infantry. Just look at the Browning M2 as the textbook example…
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Amazing and realistic looking world, impressive stuff indeed.
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Love the Power Armor (in fact, love everything about your collection). I guess the large weapon makes some sense if you consider: 1) in Power Armor the trooper can lift and fire it, and 2) in that size, it is really equivalent to a heavy tripod-mounted support weapon, or even light auto-cannon, so maybe it has AT capability.
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Again, thanks to everyone for all the encouragement.
I'm going to do some modelling on a new PA arm this week. I'll post some Blender screenshots to get everyone's opinion and see if it's worth putting on another print run.
I had houseguests again this weekend (I'm basically the "big city" waystation for my rural friends, lol), so no hobbying. However, I did pull out the lightbox to show off a recent project. In my quest to find an AFV for my New Leyland Security Forces, I modelled a sort-of-sci-fi CVRT:
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010166.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010168.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010169.jpg)
Hmmm... It basically just looks like a poorly modelled CVRT, lol
I went back to the drawing board with the goal of producing a similarly sized tracked vehicle. I ended up with this:
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010179.jpg)
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010175.jpg)
Unlike most of my models, which are just big hunks of resin, I broke this one up more along the lines of a conventional model kit. This has the added benefit of saving resin and reducing the chance of warping. Also, painting roadwheels is a pain in the ass when the running gear is one piece.
(https://roboterkam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/P1010180.jpg)
I modelled some skirts as well. In the foreground is the base and camera head for the aux equipment install. The idea is to model a bunch of remote weapon stations and equipment, which will sit in the slot in the turret bustle.
This particular one fits a 3mm acrylic rod, which will give the vehicle a recon mast for scenario use.
I've also got a mountain of scatter pieces to get started on this week. Like, I used an entire kilo of resin printing barrels, pallets, and boxes. I get palpitations just thinking about it.
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That’s a great light combat vehicle. You could make a series of specialist turret variants, too. It’s amazing to me what a skilled 3D modeler like you can create.
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I like the re-modelled tank, as the first really does look just a bit too much like the inspiration!