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Miniatures Adventure => Post-Apocalyptic Tales => Topic started by: James Holloway on 22 February 2018, 11:20:17 AM

Title: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: James Holloway on 22 February 2018, 11:20:17 AM: A long time ago, I purchased a tub of army men at Poundland. I needed them for something completely different (they were counters on a map board in a LARP I was playing in), but after that was over I thought, well ... waste not, want not. Then I threw them in a drawer and forgot about them.

Now, finally, I have decided to start turning them into figures for my upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG. Some of them have appeared here before as guards in my post-apocalyptic marketplace project, but others are new.

Each figure was turned into a character by the addition of new heads, backpacks, accessories and sometimes hands and weapons. My bits box is pretty well-stocked, so I think I didn't buy anything for this project. Here are some of the ones I've already completed, together with their original models:

(https://78.media.tumblr.com/a6d754bb0e4123cc016d9bb3123b7656/tumblr_p4g1mtOKsf1sf1oqto1_540.jpg)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWei8mGXkAApvIH.jpg)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWoqT1RWsAA1-6k.jpg)

(https://78.media.tumblr.com/ea1d0d78c0eef045f81d503015f5442e/tumblr_p4ju3l9fR81sf1oqto1_540.jpg)

And here's one WIP:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWjk8-SX4AAQkn7.jpg)

They're a bit rough and ready, but a) it's the apocalypse, and b) the price is right.

Obviously a lot of different bits were used here: there are GW, Ramshackle, Frostgrave, Bolt Action and probably some others I'm not thinking of, but if you want to know what something is I'll try to answer.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: commissarmoody on 22 February 2018, 02:04:04 PM: Not a bad idea, and great use of recycled figs.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on 22 February 2018, 05:08:57 PM: Nice job.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Ragsta on 23 February 2018, 03:14:18 PM: That's... That's actually really good indeed. I like the multitude of parts choices and they look convincingly appropriate too.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Hupp n at em on 23 February 2018, 10:57:11 PM: Any idea if they have army men on the smaller (pseudo 28mm) side of things in the US? I've only seen the cheapo army men in the 40-54mm range around here.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Brummie Thug on 24 February 2018, 04:11:57 PM: Cracking idea. They look really good and you obviously have the knack for putting them together and bringing them to life. Great work!
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Exiledadmiral on 25 February 2018, 09:52:33 PM: They look great! If I hadn't seen the original figures by the side i'd have thought they were just post apocalyptic figures.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: James Holloway on 26 February 2018, 02:08:33 PM: Quote from: Hupp n at em on 23 February 2018, 10:57:11 PM
Any idea if they have army men on the smaller (pseudo 28mm) side of things in the US? I've only seen the cheapo army men in the 40-54mm range around here.

I don't know! The ones I bought were sold under the name "Battle Squadron" and I gather some people have seen them on Wish, but I've also seen models of similar design but different scale. My guess would be they're out there, but it can be hard to be sure you have the right ones.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: James Holloway on 26 February 2018, 02:10:45 PM: Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Here's another new guy! Following up on a discussion I had with some folks on Facebook, I tried to model a cloak on this one. One of my big concerns is mitigating the flatness of the design -- that's why a lot of them have backpacks. In this case I bulked out the back with some putty, then slapped the tissue paper cloak on over it. It looks OK, I think!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DW9IZQYW4AA8_eT.jpg)

The head is from the Frostgrave Ghost Archipelago boxed set, and the arm with pistol is from the Ramshackle Iron Brotherhood (I think). The arm doesn't fit the shoulder very well -- cloak to the rescue once again!
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: mellis1644 on 26 February 2018, 02:14:30 PM: Very impressive IMO.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Sbloom141 on 04 March 2018, 02:44:16 PM: Having just seen some of these in the local pound shop I can truly appreciate the work it’s taken to get the conversions looking this good lol bravo!
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Sunjester on 04 March 2018, 02:59:53 PM: Excellent conversion work. ;)
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: livanbard on 05 March 2018, 07:16:05 PM: This is awesome. Simply.
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Lau on 07 March 2018, 09:50:49 PM: They turn out sooo nice!
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: kalebdaark on 03 April 2018, 11:49:16 PM: Old School. When you didn't have a bunch of companies making post-apocalyptic minis or buildings or whatnot - you were left to your own devices. If you wanted it to exist, you had to make it happen.

Glad someone hasn't forgotten how - or has rediscovered the lost art.
Title: James' post-apocalyptic thread (incl. army men minis)
Post by: James Holloway on 18 April 2018, 08:45:54 PM: For the sake of efficiency, I'm going to post more recent post-apocalyptic models in this thread, even though they're not made from army men. I do have some more army men to post one of these days. Anyway, here's what I've been working on lately:

This cargo hauler was made from Ramshackle Games miscast pieces:

(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ylxQKzznOSs/WtW1M52ihDI/AAAAAAAAlIg/ccXh6cGJ-jobk1Fg3jy875BET4J_rqlkACKgBGAs/s640/20180416_185908.jpg)

These mutant pig guys are from ThunderChild Miniatures:

(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E_bwFizxJDI/WtefNWlkSSI/AAAAAAAAlKw/mq23MEQggCEklPcJ--hxKm0ET3q-1GZLACKgBGAs/s400/20180418_093509.jpg)

(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Jd2ElADxzY/WtefNj4lOfI/AAAAAAAAlKw/mDUfd0yZvfIEWhnss0l6abtsskFCMzJXACKgBGAs/s400/20180418_093549.jpg)
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: James Holloway on 20 July 2018, 05:19:59 PM: This guy is an old Gamma World model from TSR -- I got him in the LAF bits exchange with two others. I'll do a group shot when they're all done. Just one more left!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Die0DsyXcAAl-Pb.jpg)
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: War Monkey on 29 July 2018, 12:10:14 AM: Nice conversion and the paint jobs too! :)
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Grimmnar on 16 August 2018, 06:06:01 AM: Haven't had any luck finding the source figs.
Would love to know the source.

Grimm
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on 16 August 2018, 06:38:48 PM: Nice figures.

You can change the thread title on the first posting and it changes what is displayed on the thread list (and the default title for subsequent posts).
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: soldado on 16 August 2018, 06:57:11 PM: Grimmnar the source is poundland battle squadron tubs of soldiers
(https://manoftinblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/img_2443.jpg?w=768)

HTH
Title: Re: Post-apocalyptic models from army men
Post by: Grimmnar on 18 August 2018, 10:46:22 AM: Quote from: soldado on 16 August 2018, 06:57:11 PM
Grimmnar the source is poundland battle squadron tubs of soldiers

HTH
Appreciate the info.
So, a tub of 100 troops for a Pound?
Even our Dollar stores cant match that.

3 different forces or 4?
Possibilities possibilities. :-)

Grimm